2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mburu
A surname of Gikuyu origin meaning "born after difficulty".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 695 Americans carry the last name Mburu. That puts it at #39,225 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 493,172 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mburu 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 Mburu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
695
1 in 493,172
Census rank
#39,225
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
606
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 606 bearers of the surname Mburu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39225th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mburu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and White (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mburu
The surname MBURU is of Kenyan origin, originating in the central highlands of the country. It is believed to have derived from the Kikuyu language, with the word "mburu" meaning "warrior" or "brave one."
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 16th century, appearing in oral histories and clan narratives passed down through generations of the Kikuyu people. It was often associated with families or clans known for their bravery and prowess in battle, as well as their leadership and influence within their communities.
In the 19th century, written records of the name began to emerge as European missionaries and colonial administrators documented the names and histories of local populations. One notable figure from this era was Mburu wa Kihara, a respected Kikuyu elder and leader who played a pivotal role in negotiating land rights and treaties with the British colonial government.
As the 20th century progressed, the name MBURU gained prominence in various spheres of Kenyan society. Jomo Kenyatta, the first Prime Minister and President of independent Kenya (1892-1978), had a close associate named Mburu Kariuki who served as a member of the Legislative Council and was instrumental in the country's struggle for independence.
Another notable bearer of the name was Mburu Gichuhi (1902-1990), a Kenyan activist and trade unionist who fought for workers' rights and played a significant role in the formation of the Kenya African Union, a precursor to modern political parties in the country.
In the field of literature, Ngugi wa Thiong'o (born 1938), a renowned Kenyan writer and academic, wrote a novel titled "Petals of Blood" in 1977, which featured a character named Mburu, a representation of the resilience and determination of the Kenyan people.
The surname MBURU has also been carried by numerous other notable individuals throughout Kenyan history, including politicians, artists, academics, and community leaders, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural significance and association with leadership and bravery.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mburu
Among Census respondents with the surname Mburu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and White (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mburu 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 Mburu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.1% · 570
- Two or more races2.8% · 17
- White2.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mburu
Mburu 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
#53,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 388
+273 bearers (+237.4%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 81,613 places
2020
#39,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 606
+218 bearers (+56.2%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 14,091 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,316 | 388 | 0.13 | +273 bearers (+237.4%) | Up 81,613 places |
| 2020 | #39,225 | 606 | 0.20 | +218 bearers (+56.2%) | Up 14,091 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 Mburu 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 | #53,316 | #39,225 | 26.4% |
| Count | 388 | 606 | 56.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.20 | 56.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mburu bearers went from 388 to 606 (+56.2% change). The surname moved up 14,091 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,316 to #39,225.
FAQ
Mburu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mburu?
Name Census estimates that about 695 living Americans carry the surname Mburu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 493,172 residents.
How common is Mburu?
Mburu ranks #39,225 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 606 people with the surname Mburu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (695), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Mburu.
Has Mburu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mburu went from 388 recorded bearers to 606. That is an increase of 218 (+56.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,316 to #39,225.
What does the Census say about the background of Mburu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mburu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and White (2.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mburu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (570 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mburu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%), White (2.0%). 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 Mburu (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 Mburu mean?
A surname of Gikuyu origin meaning "born after difficulty". 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 Mburu (0.20 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 are called Mburu?
See how many people have the last name Mburu on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.