2000
#14,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,864
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Burnley
From the English place name, derived from Old English meaning "burnt clearing" or "clearing by a stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,202 Americans carry the last name Burnley. That puts it at #14,821 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,656 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burnley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Burnley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 155,656
Census rank
#14,821
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,920 bearers of the surname Burnley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14821st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnley, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burnley
The surname Burnley originated in England, with records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the place name Burnley, a town in Lancashire, England. The name itself is thought to come from the Old English words "burne" meaning a small stream, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Burnley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1193, where a person named Adam de Burnley is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the medieval period.
In the 13th century, the surname Burnley appeared in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1246, which were legal records of the time. This suggests that the name had spread from its original location in Lancashire to neighboring areas.
The Burnley surname is also documented in the Feet of Fines, which were legal records of land transfers and agreements. In 1332, a John de Burnley is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a William Burnley is listed.
Notable individuals with the surname Burnley throughout history include:
1. Sir Thomas Burnley (c. 1350 - 1429), an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Henry IV.
2. Robert Burnley (c. 1410 - 1485), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1475 until his death.
3. William Burnley (1781 - 1876), an English civil engineer known for his work on canals and railways in the early 19th century.
4. James Burnley (1870 - 1949), an English footballer who played for Blackburn Rovers and represented England at international level.
5. John Burnley (1905 - 1980), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and also represented England in Test matches.
The surname Burnley has strong ties to the town of Burnley in Lancashire, and its origins can be traced back to the Old English words describing the local geography. Throughout history, the name has been documented in various legal and administrative records, reflecting its presence across different regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burnley
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnley, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Burnley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Burnley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.9% · 1,015
- Black or African American36.4% · 698
- Two or more races6.7% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burnley
Burnley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,985
+121 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 279 places
2020
#14,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,920
-65 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 92 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,634 | 1,864 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,913 | 1,985 | 0.67 | +121 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 279 places |
| 2020 | #14,821 | 1,920 | 0.64 | -65 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 92 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Burnley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,913 | #14,821 | 0.6% |
| Count | 1,985 | 1,920 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.64 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burnley bearers went from 1,985 to 1,920 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 92 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,913 to #14,821.
FAQ
Burnley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burnley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,202 living Americans carry the surname Burnley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,656 residents.
How common is Burnley?
Burnley ranks #14,821 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,920 people with the surname Burnley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Burnley.
Has Burnley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burnley went from 1,985 recorded bearers to 1,920. That is a decrease of 65 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,913 to #14,821.
What does the Census say about the background of Burnley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnley, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Two or More Races (6.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Burnley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.9% (1,015 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burnley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.9%), Black (36.4%), Two or More Races (6.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Burnley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Burnley mean?
From the English place name, derived from Old English meaning "burnt clearing" or "clearing by a stream." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Burnley (0.64 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Burnley?
Find out how common the surname Burnley is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.