NameCensus.

UK surname

Burchell

An English toponymic surname derived from places named Bircholt, Birchill, or Burchells, meaning "birch hill" or "birch wood."

In the 1881 census there were 1,338 people recorded with the Burchell surname, ranking it #3,067 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,187, ranked #2,964, up from #3,067 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, London parishes and Horsham, Sullington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Shepway and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burchell is 2,386 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.5%.

1881 census count

1,338

Ranked #3,067

Modern count

2,187

2016, ranked #2,964

Peak year

1999

2,386 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burchell had 1,338 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,067 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,187 in 2016, ranked #2,964.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,082 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Burchell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Burchell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Burchell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burchell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 805 #3,328
1861 historical 800 #3,432
1881 historical 1,338 #3,067
1891 historical 1,491 #2,953
1901 historical 1,807 #2,898
1911 historical 2,082 #2,400
1997 modern 2,295 #2,709
1998 modern 2,369 #2,739
1999 modern 2,386 #2,737
2000 modern 2,354 #2,755
2001 modern 2,282 #2,772
2002 modern 2,353 #2,754
2003 modern 2,264 #2,788
2004 modern 2,260 #2,787
2005 modern 2,192 #2,847
2006 modern 2,232 #2,799
2007 modern 2,204 #2,859
2008 modern 2,217 #2,866
2009 modern 2,234 #2,912
2010 modern 2,263 #2,933
2011 modern 2,271 #2,891
2012 modern 2,197 #2,917
2013 modern 2,242 #2,918
2014 modern 2,244 #2,928
2015 modern 2,221 #2,923
2016 modern 2,187 #2,964

Geography

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Where Burchells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, London parishes, Horsham, Sullington, Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Shepway and Wiltshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dudley Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Horsham, Sullington Sussex
4 Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington Wiltshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 007 Blaenau Gwent
2 Blaenau Gwent 004 Blaenau Gwent
3 Shepway 011 Shepway
4 Wiltshire 015 Wiltshire
5 Wiltshire 007 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burchell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Burchell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burchell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Burchell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Burchell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Burchell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Burchell is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burchell is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Burchell falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Burchell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Burchell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Burchell

The surname Burchell originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified place or town, and "hyll" meaning a hill, thus implying someone who lived on a hill near a town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burchell can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a William de Burchull is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English crown in the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Burchulle, Burchill, and Burchyll, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. The name is also believed to have originated from the place name Burchill in Berkshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.

One notable bearer of the Burchell surname was Sir John Burchell (1553-1631), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Gloucester in the early 17th century. Another was William Burchell (1782-1863), a renowned English explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in southern Africa and made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology.

In the 16th century, the surname Burchell was found in the records of the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire, indicating the presence of families with this name in that county. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records maintained by the English government.

Other notable individuals with the surname Burchell include Jonathan Burchell (1752-1841), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, and Richard Burchell (1815-1863), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Canada.

While the surname Burchell is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history dating back several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, explorers, military personnel, and politicians.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burchell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burchell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 232 Burchells recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.58x.

County Total Index
Sussex 232 10.58x
Middlesex 225 1.73x
Surrey 171 2.70x
Wiltshire 139 12.09x
Kent 77 1.74x
Gloucestershire 66 2.59x
Yorkshire 46 0.36x
Hampshire 41 1.54x
Berkshire 38 3.89x
Monmouthshire 31 3.30x
Oxfordshire 31 3.86x
Glamorgan 29 1.28x
Essex 26 1.01x
Somerset 26 1.24x
Warwickshire 25 0.76x
Staffordshire 23 0.52x
Lancashire 13 0.08x
Buckinghamshire 11 1.40x
Cambridgeshire 10 1.21x
Worcestershire 10 0.59x
Midlothian 8 0.46x
Cumberland 6 0.54x
Derbyshire 6 0.29x
Pembrokeshire 6 1.45x
Brecknockshire 5 1.92x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.23x
Devon 3 0.11x
Hertfordshire 3 0.33x
Leicestershire 3 0.21x
Northamptonshire 3 0.25x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.38x
Durham 2 0.05x
Lanarkshire 2 0.05x
Rutland 2 2.09x
Angus 1 0.08x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.18x
Channel Islands 1 0.26x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Northumberland 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 0.65x
Shropshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lyneham in Wiltshire leads with 34 Burchells recorded in 1881 and an index of 755.56x.

Place Total Index
Lyneham 34 755.56x
Hove 31 32.22x
Calne 30 126.69x
Horsham 30 70.44x
Lambeth 26 2.29x
St Pancras London 26 2.48x
Islington London 23 1.82x
Reigate Foreign 22 32.07x
Battersea 19 3.97x
Camberwell 18 2.17x
Hillmarton 17 596.49x
Swansea Town 17 9.16x
Newington 16 3.33x
Thornbury 16 91.80x
Brighton 15 3.39x
Lingfield 15 121.46x
Reading St Mary 14 17.91x
Wootton Bassett 14 140.00x
Bethnal Green London 12 2.12x
Bitton Oldland 12 46.03x
Shoreditch London 12 2.13x
New Shoreham 11 83.71x
Paddington London 11 2.30x
Dudley 10 4.84x
Lee 10 15.52x
Southampton St John 10 366.30x
Barking 9 11.98x
Bow London 9 5.44x
Bradford 9 2.89x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 9 25.06x
Hackney London 9 1.23x
Hammersmith London 9 2.81x
Havant 9 66.67x
Patching 9 737.70x
Poplar London 9 3.67x
Portsea 9 1.72x
South Bersted 9 48.26x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 3.44x
Tillington 9 228.43x
Whitechapel London 9 7.02x
Wolverhampton 9 2.67x
Brightwell 8 290.91x
Broadwater 8 15.91x
Finchley 8 16.05x
Hastings St Andrew 8 101.78x
Petworth 8 61.07x
Westminster St John 8 5.05x
Arundel 7 57.00x
Bathford 7 162.79x
Billingshurst 7 97.49x
Bristol St James In 7 18.67x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 7 30.13x
Charlton Kings 7 39.68x
Heathfield 7 78.83x
Hornsey 7 4.26x
Itchingfield 7 362.69x
Lewes St John Southover 7 47.55x
Limehouse London 7 4.90x
Selborne 7 128.91x
St Marylebone London 7 1.01x
Sutton 7 489.51x
Swalecliffe 7 1093.75x
Wheatfield 7 1590.91x
Birmingham 6 0.55x
Caverswall 6 26.29x
Christchurch 6 20.63x
Croydon 6 1.71x
Deptford St Nicholas 6 17.04x
East Grinstead 6 19.34x
Everton 6 1.22x
Gate Fulford 6 19.94x
Kensington London 6 0.83x
Mile End Old Town London 6 2.17x
Oxford St Clement 6 29.60x
Penarth 6 27.11x
Sibertswold 6 256.41x
South Ockendon 6 112.99x
St George In East London 6 4.91x
Stapleton 6 12.40x
Swindon 6 6.73x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Burchell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 68
Sarah 50
Elizabeth 42
Annie 27
Emily 24
Jane 24
Ellen 22
Emma 21
Eliza 20
Ann 16
Edith 13
Louisa 12
Florence 11
Martha 11
Alice 10
Caroline 10
Charlotte 10
Maria 10
Clara 9
Fanny 9
Kate 9
Ada 8
Anne 8
Margaret 8
Esther 7
Hannah 7
Matilda 7
Anna 6
Frances 6
Eleanor 5
Ethel 5
Harriett 5
Amelia 4
Lucy 4
Minnie 4
Amy 3
Gertrude 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Lilly 3
Mabel 3
Maud 3
Selina 3
Sophia 3
Susanna 3
Agnes 2
Bessie 2
Elizth. 2
Lily 2
Marian 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Burchell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 80
John 64
George 45
James 37
Henry 36
Charles 33
Thomas 30
Joseph 23
Frederick 21
Alfred 17
Walter 17
Edward 16
Albert 14
Samuel 13
Robert 12
Richard 10
Arthur 9
Francis 9
Frank 9
Harry 9
Ernest 8
Wm. 7
Daniel 6
Herbert 5
Tom 5
Edgar 4
Edwin 4
Eli 4
Peter 4
Stephen 4
Thos. 4
David 3
Jesse 3
Job 3
Luke 3
Abia 2
Abraham 2
Allen 2
Benjamin 2
Bryant 2
Ebenezer 2
Enos 2
Geo. 2
Gilbert 2
J. 2
Jasper 2
Nathan 2
Norris 2
Sidney 2
Uriah 2

FAQ

Burchell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burchell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,338 people were recorded with the Burchell surname. That placed it at #3,067 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burchell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,187 in 2016. That gives Burchell a modern rank of #2,964.

What does the Burchell surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from places named Bircholt, Birchill, or Burchells, meaning "birch hill" or "birch wood."

What does the Burchell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Burchell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.