2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Bursby
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning 'dwelling near a brushwood'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Bursby. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bursby 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Bursby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bursby, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bursby
The surname Bursby is of English origin, originating from the county of Yorkshire in the north of England during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words 'burh' meaning a fortified town or manor, and 'by' meaning a farmstead or settlement. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a farm or hamlet near a fortified town or manor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bursby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name is spelled 'Buresbi' in this historical manuscript, indicating that the surname has evolved over time.
During the 13th century, the name Bursby appeared in various medieval records and charters, with variations in spelling such as 'Buresbie' and 'Bursbie'. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One notable individual bearing the surname Bursby was Sir John Bursby, a prominent landowner and knight who lived during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. He was recorded as owning estates in Yorkshire and served as a member of the king's council.
Another historical figure with the surname Bursby was William Bursby, born in 1512, who was a renowned scholar and theologian. He was educated at the University of Cambridge and later became the rector of St. Peter's Church in York, where he served until his death in 1585.
In the 17th century, the Bursby family established themselves as prominent landowners and farmers in the Yorkshire Dales region. One member of this family, Thomas Bursby (1621-1687), was known for his contributions to improving agricultural practices and promoting the cultivation of new crop varieties in the area.
During the 18th century, there are records of a Bursby family living in the village of Burnsall, located in the Yorkshire Dales. This village is believed to have derived its name from a variation of the surname Bursby, further solidifying the connection between the name and the region.
In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname Bursby was Elizabeth Bursby (1805-1879), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the city of Leeds and worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for women during a time when such efforts were rare.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bursby
Among Census respondents with the surname Bursby, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bursby 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 Bursby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 7
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bursby
Bursby appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+11 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,739 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 10,739 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 Bursby 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 | #157,234 | #146,495 | 6.8% |
| Count | 103 | 114 | 10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bursby bearers went from 103 to 114 (+10.7% change). The surname moved up 10,739 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #146,495.
FAQ
Bursby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bursby?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Bursby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Bursby?
Bursby ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Bursby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Bursby.
Has Bursby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bursby went from 103 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 11 (+10.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Bursby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bursby, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bursby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bursby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bursby (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 Bursby mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning 'dwelling near a brushwood'. 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 Bursby (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 common is the surname Bursby?
If you just want to know how many people are called Bursby, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.