Find out how popular the last name Burroughs is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Burroughs.

Burroughs, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Burroughs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burroughs in America

Burroughs is the 2087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burroughs surname appeared 17,336 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Burroughs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burroughs to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Burroughs

The surname Burroughs has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from one of the numerous places in England called "Burgh" or "Borough," which were originally fortified towns or villages. The name is thought to be an Old English compound word, formed by the elements "burh" meaning "a fortified place" and "hog" meaning "a ridge."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Borgge" and "Burges." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "de Burgh," "de Burgo," and "de Burgho." These variations reflect the Norman French influence on English surnames during this period.

Notable historical figures with the surname Burroughs include Sir John Burroughs (c. 1322–1388), an English military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. Another prominent bearer of the name was William Burroughs (1572–1645), an English mathematician and surveyor who is credited with introducing the symbol for the modern mathematical concept of "less than."

In the literary world, the name is perhaps most associated with the American writer William S. Burroughs (1914–1997), a celebrated author and member of the Beat Generation. His experimental novels, such as "Naked Lunch" and "The Soft Machine," explored themes of addiction, control systems, and the human condition.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950), the American author best known for creating the iconic character Tarzan. Additionally, John Burroughs (1837–1921) was an influential American naturalist and essayist, who played a significant role in the early conservation movement.

The name Burroughs has also been associated with various places in England, such as Burroughs Green in Cambridgeshire and Burroughs on the Hill in Leicestershire, further underscoring its locational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burroughs

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Burroughs.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Burroughs was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Burroughs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Burroughs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Burroughs, please contact us.

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