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

Burton, 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 Burton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burton in America

Burton is the 280th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burton surname appeared 110,529 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 37 people would have the surname Burton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burton 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 Burton

The surname Burton originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified town or borough, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or homestead. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a fortified town or borough.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Burton dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and estates commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings such as Burtone, Burtun, and Burctun.

During the Middle Ages, the Burton surname was prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Several place names, such as Burton-upon-Trent, Burton Pidsea, and Burton Flemming, contributed to the spread and variation of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Burton throughout history include:

1. Richard Burton (1925-1984), a renowned Welsh actor known for his performances in films like "Cleopatra" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

2. Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890), a British explorer, writer, and linguist, famous for his travels in Asia and Africa and his translation of "The Arabian Nights."

3. Decimus Burton (1800-1881), an English architect and garden designer, responsible for the design of several buildings and parks in London, including the Athenaeum Club and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

4. Robert Burton (1577-1640), an English scholar and author, best known for his work "The Anatomy of Melancholy," a seminal work on depression and melancholia.

5. William Burton (1609-1657), an English antiquarian and historian, who wrote extensively about the history and antiquities of Leicestershire and other counties.

The Burton surname has a rich history and has been carried by notable figures in various fields, from exploration and literature to acting and architecture. Its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era, reflecting the settlement patterns and fortified towns of that period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burton

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!