2000
#1,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,649
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.51
Uncommon Last name
Burt
Derived from the Old English words for "fort" or "stronghold," indicating someone who lived near or worked at such a place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,350 Americans carry the last name Burt. That puts it at #1,342 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,678 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burt 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Burt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,678
Census rank
#1,342
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,595 bearers of the surname Burt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1342nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burt, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burt
The surname BURT originated in England and traces back to the Old English language. It is derived from the Old English word "burht," which means a fortified place or town. The surname was likely first adopted as a descriptive name for someone who lived in or near a fortified settlement or borough.
BURT is also believed to be related to the Old English word "beorht," meaning bright or shining. This suggests the name may have been used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with a bright complexion or a radiant personality.
The BURT surname is found in early English records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists several individuals with the name or variations such as Burt, Burte, and Burto. This indicates the name was well-established in England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname BURT was Robert Burt, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1197. Another early bearer of the name was William Burt, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.
The BURT surname has also been associated with various place names in England, including Burton, meaning "fortified farm" or "fortified enclosure," and Buerton, meaning "bright farmstead." These place names may have influenced the development of the surname in certain regions.
Notable individuals with the surname BURT throughout history include:
1. William Burt (1776-1858), an American surveyor and inventor who developed the solar compass and other surveying instruments.
2. Nathaniel Burt (1825-1874), an American author and editor who wrote several books on spiritualism and the occult.
3. Marie Burt (1923-2010), an American actress best known for her role in the television series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
4. Cyril Burt (1883-1971), a British educational psychologist known for his work on intelligence testing and the nature-nurture debate.
5. Sir Alister Burt (1925-2008), a British diplomat and former Governor of Bermuda.
The BURT surname has a rich history rooted in Old English and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including surveyors, authors, actors, psychologists, and diplomats.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burt
Among Census respondents with the surname Burt, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Burt 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 Burt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.7% · 19,629
- Black or African American14.8% · 3,782
- Two or more races4.2% · 1,087
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 805
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 184
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 108
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burt
Burt 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
#1,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,475
+826 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 8.98
Rank movement Down 75 places
2020
#1,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,595
-880 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 8.56
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,256 | 25,649 | 9.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,331 | 26,475 | 8.98 | +826 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 75 places |
| 2020 | #1,342 | 25,595 | 8.56 | -880 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 11 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 Burt 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 | #1,331 | #1,342 | -0.8% |
| Count | 26,475 | 25,595 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 8.98 | 8.56 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burt bearers went from 26,475 to 25,595 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,331 to #1,342.
FAQ
Burt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burt?
Name Census estimates that about 29,350 living Americans carry the surname Burt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,678 residents.
How common is Burt?
Burt ranks #1,342 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,595 people with the surname Burt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,350), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Burt.
Has Burt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burt went from 26,475 recorded bearers to 25,595. That is a decrease of 880 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,331 to #1,342.
What does the Census say about the background of Burt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burt, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Burt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (19,629 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.7%), Black (14.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Burt (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 Burt mean?
Derived from the Old English words for "fort" or "stronghold," indicating someone who lived near or worked at such a place. 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 Burt (8.56 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 Burt?
You can see how common the surname Burt is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.