NameCensus.

UK surname

Burgan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Burgáin," meaning "descendant of Burgán," a personal name of uncertain meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Burgan surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 221, ranked #18,321, down from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eyemouth, Bradford and Wath-on-Dearn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burgan is 359 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.8%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

221

2016, ranked #18,321

Peak year

1861

359 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burgan had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016, ranked #18,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 359 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Burgan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burgan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burgan 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 146 #13,157
1861 historical 359 #7,113
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 270 #12,027
1901 historical 255 #12,965
1911 historical 225 #13,874
1997 modern 218 #16,704
1998 modern 222 #16,969
1999 modern 226 #16,884
2000 modern 212 #17,554
2001 modern 212 #17,324
2002 modern 219 #17,288
2003 modern 213 #17,395
2004 modern 211 #17,590
2005 modern 205 #17,838
2006 modern 214 #17,507
2007 modern 219 #17,425
2008 modern 225 #17,282
2009 modern 221 #17,848
2010 modern 237 #17,368
2011 modern 210 #18,677
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 213 #18,743
2014 modern 216 #18,705
2015 modern 213 #18,769
2016 modern 221 #18,321

Geography

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Where Burgans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eyemouth, Bradford, Wath-on-Dearn, Sheffield and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford and Knowsley. 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 Eyemouth Berwick
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 046 Bradford
2 Knowsley 007 Knowsley
3 Bradford 052 Bradford
4 Bradford 019 Bradford
5 Knowsley 003 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burgan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burgan

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Burgan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Burgan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Burgan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burgan 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

Burgan 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 Burgan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Burgan

The surname BURGAN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified town or manor, and "gan" which meant to go or proceed. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near or worked at a fortified town or estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a Richard Burgain. The Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273 also lists a Walter le Burgon. These early spellings highlight how the name evolved over time.

BURGAN may have links to various place names in England, such as Burgh in Norfolk, or Burton in several counties. It's possible the name originated from one of these locations before becoming a surname.

In the 13th century, a William Burgun is recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1221. A few centuries later, the Parish Registers of St. Mary's in Beverley, Yorkshire, note the marriage of Thomas Burgan in 1599.

Notable individuals with the BURGAN surname include John Burgan (1592-1670), an English composer and organist who served King Charles I. In the 19th century, Michael Burgan (1834-1912) was an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

Other bearers of the name include William Burgan (1788-1853), a British naval officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, and Thomas Burgan (1835-1928), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire in the 1860s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burgan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burgan 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. Yorkshire leads with 75 Burgans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.14x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 75 5.14x
Cornwall 32 19.19x
Lancashire 10 0.57x
Hampshire 5 1.66x
Staffordshire 5 1.01x
Middlesex 4 0.27x
Northamptonshire 4 2.89x
Warwickshire 4 1.08x
Angus 3 2.20x
Northumberland 3 1.37x
Essex 2 0.69x
Gloucestershire 2 0.69x
Derbyshire 1 0.43x
Hertfordshire 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Attercliffe Cum Darnall in Yorkshire leads with 37 Burgans recorded in 1881 and an index of 272.06x.

Place Total Index
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 37 272.06x
Camborne 12 174.67x
Hoyland Nether 9 251.40x
Thurgoland 8 816.33x
Brightside Bierlow 6 20.96x
St Gluvias Penryn 6 447.76x
Kimberworth 5 61.73x
Portsea 5 8.45x
St Hilary 5 1020.41x
West Bromwich 5 17.57x
Ecclesfield 4 37.38x
Edgbaston 4 34.72x
Northampton St Peter 4 476.19x
West Derby 4 7.82x
Dundee 3 5.89x
Elswick 3 17.15x
Gwennap 3 95.24x
Haslingden 3 41.44x
Wentworth 3 333.33x
Islington London 2 1.40x
Kenwyn 2 45.87x
Lower Booths 2 63.90x
Maldon St Marys 2 285.71x
Perranuthnoe 2 444.44x
Acton 1 11.59x
Cheltenham 1 4.49x
Clifton 1 6.85x
Denby 1 126.58x
Eckington 1 17.86x
Gulval 1 93.46x
Kensington London 1 1.22x
Phillack 1 46.51x
Rusholme 1 21.46x
Sheffield 1 2.15x
Watford 1 12.71x
Wath On Dearne 1 34.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 7
Emily 3
Kate 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Dora 2
Eliza 2
Hannah 2
Henrietta 2
Martha 2
Anne 1
C.A. 1
Catherine 1
Celia 1
Christian 1
Clara 1
E.J.R. 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Hellena 1
Hester 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Juliana 1
Laura 1
Lavania 1
Lillian 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Margt.Ann 1
Maria 1
Nany 1
Rosa 1
Sally 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
George 7
William 7
James 4
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Frederic 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Bernard 1
C.B. 1
Charles 1
Chas.H. 1
Clement 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fredc. 1
Frederick 1
Harvey 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Lawrance 1
Leonard 1
Marcus 1
Marsena 1
Milnes 1
Owen 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Burgan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burgan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Burgan surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burgan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016. That gives Burgan a modern rank of #18,321.

What does the Burgan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Burgáin," meaning "descendant of Burgán," a personal name of uncertain meaning.

What does the Burgan map show?

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