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

Burse, 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 Burse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burse in America

Burse is the 11886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burse surname appeared 2,634 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Burse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burse 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 Burse

The surname "BURSE" originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old English word "burse," meaning a purse or pouch. This is likely a reference to an ancestor's occupation as a purse maker or seller.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Norfolk and Suffolk during the 13th century. It appears in various spellings, such as "Burser," "Bursser," and "Burcer," reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era.

One of the earliest documented references to the name is in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated around 1273, which mentions a "William Burse" residing in the county. Another notable early record is the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, listing a "John Burser" as a taxpayer.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where a "Richard Burce" is mentioned in 1348. This spelling variation suggests a potential connection to the place name "Burs," a village in Lincolnshire.

Notable individuals bearing the surname "BURSE" throughout history include:

1. John Burse (c. 1520 - 1585), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bristol from 1554 to 1585.

2. Edmund Burse (1590 - 1662), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648, representing the borough of Malmesbury.

3. William Burse (1638 - 1710), a prominent merchant and landowner in the Virginia Colony, known for his role in establishing the town of Williamsburg.

4. Elizabeth Burse (1672 - 1743), an English philanthropist and benefactor, who endowed several educational institutions in her hometown of Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

5. Thomas Burse (1799 - 1873), an English architect and surveyor, renowned for his work on numerous churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

While the name "BURSE" is not as prevalent today as it once was, its roots can be traced back to the medieval occupational and locational origins, reflecting the diverse histories and narratives woven into many English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burse

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

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 Burse 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 Burse 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 Burse was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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