Burrows
From an English place name referring to a person who lived by a hill, mound, or burial place.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,154 Americans carry the last name Burrows. That puts it at #2,085 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,007 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burrows surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,007
Census rank
#2,085
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,355 bearers of the surname Burrows in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2085th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burrows, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burrows
The surname Burrows has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "burg," meaning a fortified town or dwelling place, and the word "hyll," meaning a hill. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or on a fortified hill or hillock.
The name is found in various early records and documents, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list individuals with the surname Burrows, or similar spellings such as Burghes or Burghys. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain the exact spelling "Burrows," but it does include names like "Burges" and "Borges," which may be related.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Burrows was John Burrows, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1324 as a merchant from the city of Bristol. Another early bearer of the name was Robert Burrows, a landowner from Cheshire, whose name appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1392.
During the Middle Ages, the name Burrows was often associated with place names, particularly those derived from the Old English words "burg" and "hyll." For example, the village of Burrough in Leicestershire and the town of Burrough Green in Cambridgeshire may have given rise to the surname.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Burrows. One of the earliest was Sir John Burrows (c. 1564-1641), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Ipswich and was a prominent figure during the reign of King Charles I.
Another notable bearer of the name was Reuben Burrows (1592-1648), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1644 to 1645.
In the 18th century, William Burrows (1785-1813) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was killed in action during the Battle of Campeche Bay in 1813.
During the 19th century, George Burrows (1801-1887) was an English physician and writer who made significant contributions to the study of diseases of the brain and nervous system.
More recently, the American mathematician and computer scientist George W. Burrows (1917-2019) is known for his work in data compression and for co-inventing the Burrows-Wheeler transform, an algorithm used in data compression techniques.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burrows
Among Census respondents with the surname Burrows, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Burrows bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Burrows surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9%
- Black or African American9.4%
- Hispanic or Latino2.3%
- Two or more races1.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Burrows surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,946 | #2,085 | -7.1% |
| Count | 16,972 | 17,355 | 2.3% |
| Per 100K | 6.29 | 5.88 | -6.5% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Burrows bearers went from 16,972 to 17,355 (+2.3% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,946 to #2,085.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Burrows
FAQ
Burrows surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Burrows?
The surname Burrows holds position #2,085 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 20,154 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 5.88 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Burrows surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burrows, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (2.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.