2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Burtless
A variant of the surname "Burlace", derived from a place name containing the Old English components "burh" and "laes" meaning "town pasture".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Burtless. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burtless 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Burtless in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burtless, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burtless
The surname Burtless is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place name such as Burtless or Birtles, which were small villages or hamlets located in Cheshire or Derbyshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Burtless can be found in the Cheshire Pipe Rolls of 1260, where a person named Richard de Burtles is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence during the 13th century and its connection to the geographical location from which it likely originated.
In the Domesday Book, a renowned medieval manuscript compiled in 1086, there are references to places with similar names, such as Bretles and Bretleis, which could be early variations or precursors of the Burtless surname. These entries suggest that the name may have evolved from these earlier place names over time.
During the 16th century, the surname Burtless appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable individual from this period was John Burtless, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Birtles in Cheshire around 1570.
In the 17th century, the Burtless surname gained prominence with several individuals making their mark in various fields. William Burtless (1615-1687) was a prominent merchant and philanthropist in London, known for his charitable donations to local churches and educational institutions.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Burtless (1640-1710), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Derbyshire, whose expertise in traditional medicine was widely recognized in her time.
Moving into the 18th century, the Burtless family continued to leave their mark. Robert Burtless (1720-1795) was a respected magistrate and landowner in Cheshire, known for his fair and impartial judgments.
In the 19th century, the Burtless surname spread beyond its traditional roots in Cheshire and Derbyshire, with individuals bearing the name found in various parts of England and even venturing abroad. One such individual was Henry Burtless (1825-1902), an explorer and naturalist who documented several expeditions to the Amazon rainforest.
Throughout its history, the Burtless surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burtless
Among Census respondents with the surname Burtless, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Burtless 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 Burtless surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burtless
Burtless 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,243 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 Burtless 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 | #148,347 | #153,590 | -3.5% |
| Count | 111 | 104 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burtless bearers went from 111 to 104 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,243 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #153,590.
FAQ
Burtless surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burtless?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Burtless. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Burtless?
Burtless ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Burtless. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Burtless.
Has Burtless become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burtless went from 111 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Burtless?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burtless, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Burtless in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burtless appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (7.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Burtless (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 Burtless mean?
A variant of the surname "Burlace", derived from a place name containing the Old English components "burh" and "laes" meaning "town pasture". 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 Burtless (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Burtless?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.