2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bursack
From a location known for an abundance of small shrubs or bushes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bursack. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bursack 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bursack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bursack, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bursack
The surname Bursack is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria in the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "burse," which means "purse" or "pouch," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the trade or manufacture of purses or pouches.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bursack can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to the late 15th century. The name was spelled as "Bursemaker" in these records, indicating its connection to the purse-making trade.
In the 16th century, the name Bursack appeared in various Germanic regions, including Saxony and Silesia. During this time, it was also spelled as "Bursak" and "Bursack," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
In the 17th century, the Bursack family was well-established in the town of Oberschöna, near Leipzig, where they were involved in various crafts and trades. Johannes Bursack (1620-1678), a prominent member of the family, was a respected craftsman and guild member.
As the Bursack family migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond, the name underwent further changes in spelling and pronunciation. One notable individual was Hans Bursack (1750-1819), a German-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War on the side of the British forces.
In the 19th century, the Bursack name appeared in various regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. One notable bearer of the name was Wilhelm Bursack (1843-1912), a German writer and journalist who wrote several novels and travelogues.
In the United States, the Bursack name can be traced back to the mid-19th century, when German immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. Johann Bursack (1825-1893), a native of Bavaria, settled in Pennsylvania and worked as a farmer.
Another notable individual was Carl Bursack (1870-1945), a German-American artist and illustrator who was known for his depictions of rural life in Wisconsin, where he lived and worked.
Throughout its history, the surname Bursack has been associated with various crafts, trades, and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of its bearers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bursack
Among Census respondents with the surname Bursack, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Bursack 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 Bursack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 113
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bursack
Bursack 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-9 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,263 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,628 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 15,263 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 11,628 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 Bursack 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 | #135,593 | #147,221 | -8.6% |
| Count | 124 | 113 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bursack bearers went from 124 to 113 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 11,628 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bursack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bursack?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bursack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bursack?
Bursack ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Bursack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bursack.
Has Bursack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bursack went from 124 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bursack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bursack, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Bursack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bursack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Bursack (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 Bursack mean?
From a location known for an abundance of small shrubs or bushes. 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 Bursack (0.04 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 many people have the last name Bursack?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Bursack on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.