2000
#255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107,158
First available Census row
Per 100,000 39.72
Common Last name
Burton
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "fortified settlement."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 121,538 Americans carry the last name Burton. That puts it at #292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 35.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,820 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burton 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 Burton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
122K
1 in 2,820
Census rank
#292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
35.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105,987 bearers of the surname Burton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 35.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burton, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burton
Among Census respondents with the surname Burton, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Burton 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 Burton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.9% · 68,794
- Black or African American26.1% · 27,675
- Two or more races4.5% · 4,806
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 3,523
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 686
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 503
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burton
Burton 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
#280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110,529
+3,371 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 37.47
Rank movement Down 25 places
2020
#292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105,987
-4,542 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 35.46
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #255 | 107,158 | 39.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #280 | 110,529 | 37.47 | +3,371 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 25 places |
| 2020 | #292 | 105,987 | 35.46 | -4,542 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 12 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 Burton 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 | #280 | #292 | -4.3% |
| Count | 110,529 | 105,987 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 37.47 | 35.46 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burton bearers went from 110,529 to 105,987 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #280 to #292.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Burton
FAQ
Burton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burton?
Name Census estimates that about 121,538 living Americans carry the surname Burton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,820 residents.
How common is Burton?
Burton ranks #292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 35.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 35 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105,987 people with the surname Burton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (121,538), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 35.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 35.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 35 of them to have the surname Burton.
Has Burton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burton went from 110,529 recorded bearers to 105,987. That is a decrease of 4,542 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #280 to #292.
What does the Census say about the background of Burton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burton, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Burton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.9% (68,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.9%), Black (26.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Burton (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 Burton mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "fortified settlement." 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 Burton (35.46 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 share the surname Burton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.