NameCensus.

UK surname

Burdis

A locational surname originating from a place in County Durham, England.

In the 1881 census there were 253 people recorded with the Burdis surname, ranking it #10,980 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 552, ranked #9,254, up from #10,980 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Doncaster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Gateshead and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burdis is 616 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 118.2%.

1881 census count

253

Ranked #10,980

Modern count

552

2016, ranked #9,254

Peak year

2004

616 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burdis had 253 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,980 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 552 in 2016, ranked #9,254.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 397 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Burdis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burdis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burdis 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 143 #13,343
1861 historical 144 #15,817
1881 historical 253 #10,980
1891 historical 206 #14,597
1901 historical 350 #10,439
1911 historical 397 #9,336
1997 modern 567 #8,475
1998 modern 587 #8,518
1999 modern 580 #8,632
2000 modern 579 #8,611
2001 modern 573 #8,552
2002 modern 614 #8,316
2003 modern 586 #8,472
2004 modern 616 #8,192
2005 modern 580 #8,470
2006 modern 573 #8,575
2007 modern 574 #8,640
2008 modern 569 #8,742
2009 modern 591 #8,691
2010 modern 610 #8,677
2011 modern 611 #8,558
2012 modern 581 #8,804
2013 modern 578 #8,981
2014 modern 581 #9,006
2015 modern 566 #9,096
2016 modern 552 #9,254

Geography

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Where Burdis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Doncaster, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Doncaster Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 042 County Durham
2 Gateshead 013 Gateshead
3 Sunderland 005 Sunderland
4 Gateshead 008 Gateshead
5 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burdis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burdis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Burdis, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Burdis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Burdis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Burdis is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burdis is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Burdis falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Burdis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Burdis

The surname Burdis is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'burde', meaning 'lady' or 'maiden'. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a descriptive name for someone who was associated with or employed by a lady of high social standing.

In the early medieval period, the name Burdis was primarily found in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Durham. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a person named William Burdis is mentioned.

Over the centuries, various spelling variations of the name emerged, including Burdus, Burdess, and Burdiss. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

The Burdis surname has been documented in several historical records and manuscripts. For instance, in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners in England, there is a reference to a Robert Burdis holding lands in Oxfordshire.

One notable bearer of the Burdis name was John Burdis (c. 1530 - 1609), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Chichester from 1597 until his death. Another historically significant figure was William Burdis (1639 - 1696), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas from 1686 to 1689.

In the 16th century, the Burdis surname was also associated with place names in various parts of England. For example, there was a hamlet called Burdis in the parish of Aysgarth, Yorkshire, which likely derived its name from early inhabitants bearing the surname.

Other notable individuals with the Burdis surname include:

1. Robert Burdis (c. 1510 - 1592), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Stamford in 1558. 2. Elizabeth Burdis (1672 - 1745), an English poet and playwright known for her satirical works. 3. Thomas Burdis (1703 - 1786), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London. 4. Edward Burdis (1811 - 1891), a British railway engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early steam locomotives. 5. Margaret Burdis (1876 - 1954), a British suffragette and women's rights activist who campaigned for equal voting rights in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burdis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burdis 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. Durham leads with 129 Burdis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.50x.

County Total Index
Durham 129 17.50x
Northumberland 78 21.16x
Middlesex 16 0.65x
Derbyshire 9 2.32x
Surrey 8 0.66x
Lancashire 7 0.24x
Yorkshire 5 0.20x
Dorset 1 0.62x
Northamptonshire 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 46 Burdis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 83.35x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 46 83.35x
Heworth 29 199.72x
Westoe 28 67.00x
Byker 12 65.86x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 52.33x
Bishopwearmouth 9 14.22x
Chirton 8 95.92x
Elswick 8 27.19x
Hexham West Quarter 8 4210.53x
Kirkwhelpington 8 4210.53x
Bradley 7 3043.48x
Croydon 7 10.45x
Hackney London 7 5.04x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 48.64x
Auckland St Andrew 5 256.41x
Doncaster 5 27.87x
Islington London 5 2.08x
Mickley 5 431.03x
Newton In Makerfield 5 55.56x
Westgate 4 17.52x
Broomhaugh 3 1578.95x
Jesmond 3 57.80x
Bellingham 2 322.58x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 8.57x
Fulham London 2 5.57x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 6.26x
Preston In Tynemouth 2 137.93x
Westminster St John 2 6.63x
Great Bavington 1 2500.00x
Hartlepool 1 9.54x
Morpeth 1 23.09x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 4.54x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 20.62x
Portland 1 11.44x
Raunds 1 42.19x
Rodsley 1 833.33x
Spondon 1 67.11x
Stranton 1 4.03x
Streatham 1 5.44x
Tynemouth 1 5.07x
Winlaton 1 14.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 18
Mary 17
Jane 13
Margaret 8
Isabella 7
Sarah 7
Ellen 6
Ann 5
Charlotte 4
Annie 3
Hannah 3
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Barbara.A. 1
Betsey 1
Christiam 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Eleanor.J. 1
Elizth.C. 1
Elleanor 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Ida 1
Jane.D. 1
Jemina 1
Lydia 1
M. 1
Margt.E. 1
Margt.J. 1
Mary.E. 1
Mary.J. 1
Meggy 1
Rachel 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 21
William 19
George 15
Thomas 12
Edward 10
Joseph 8
Robert 8
James 5
Ralph 3
Geo. 2
J. 2
Jonathan 2
Michael 2
Addison 1
Anthony 1
Charles 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo 1
Geo.H. 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Jno. 1
Peter 1
R. 1
R.S. 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Burdis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burdis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 253 people were recorded with the Burdis surname. That placed it at #10,980 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burdis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 552 in 2016. That gives Burdis a modern rank of #9,254.

What does the Burdis surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place in County Durham, England.

What does the Burdis map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Burdis 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.