NameCensus.

UK surname

Burger

An occupational surname referring to a person who lived in or worked at a fortified town or castle.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Burger surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 459, ranked #10,668, up from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Westray and Papa Westray and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Malvern Hills, Cheshire West and Chester and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burger is 459 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 595.5%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

459

2016, ranked #10,668

Peak year

2016

459 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burger had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 459 in 2016, ranked #10,668.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 359 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Burger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burger surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burger 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 359 #7,113
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 203 #14,754
1901 historical 147 #18,270
1911 historical 181 #15,911
1997 modern 264 #14,734
1998 modern 282 #14,472
1999 modern 296 #14,081
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 323 #13,083
2002 modern 328 #13,186
2003 modern 356 #12,258
2004 modern 376 #11,798
2005 modern 373 #11,794
2006 modern 373 #11,854
2007 modern 389 #11,604
2008 modern 378 #11,993
2009 modern 416 #11,364
2010 modern 436 #11,189
2011 modern 415 #11,514
2012 modern 435 #10,959
2013 modern 448 #10,870
2014 modern 452 #10,857
2015 modern 454 #10,751
2016 modern 459 #10,668

Geography

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Where Burgers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Westray and Papa Westray, St Marylebone and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Malvern Hills, Cheshire West and Chester, Kensington and Chelsea, Haringey and Central Bedfordshire. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Malvern Hills 004 Malvern Hills
2 Cheshire West and Chester 002 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Kensington and Chelsea 008 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Haringey 023 Haringey
5 Central Bedfordshire 017 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burger

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burger

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Burger surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Burger 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Burger is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Burger is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Burger 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 Burger 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Burger

The surname BURGER is of Germanic origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "burger," which means a citizen or an inhabitant of a town or borough. This name can be traced back to the 12th century and was likely first used as an occupational name for someone who lived in a town or borough.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname BURGER can be found in various German-speaking regions, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It is believed that the name first emerged as a distinction for those who lived within the confines of a town or borough, as opposed to those who lived in rural areas.

In the 14th century, the name BURGER appeared in the Hausberger Chronicle, a historical document that recorded significant events and families in the region of Hausbergen, near Strasbourg. This suggests that the name had already gained prominence in the area at that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname BURGER was Hans Burger, a merchant from Nuremberg, Germany, who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's trade and commerce circles.

In the 16th century, the name BURGER was also present in the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as "Burgher." Pieter Burgher (1521-1596) was a renowned Dutch painter and engraver known for his religious and allegorical works.

As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way to England, where it was sometimes anglicized as "Burgess." John Burgess (1598-1663) was an English theologian and scholar who served as the Bishop of Salisbury.

In the 18th century, Johann Burger (1773-1842) was a German philosopher and writer who made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics. His works, such as "On the Origin of Knowledge" and "On the Sublime," explored the nature of beauty and the sublime.

Another notable figure with the surname BURGER was Joseph Burger (1892-1981), an Austrian-American painter and printmaker. He was a prominent figure in the American Modernist movement and is known for his abstract and expressionist works.

Throughout history, the surname BURGER has been associated with various professions, including merchants, artisans, scholars, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burger 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. Middlesex leads with 33 Burgers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.83x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 33 4.83x
Surrey 8 2.40x
Orkney 7 93.21x
Yorkshire 6 0.89x
Channel Islands 4 19.77x
Lancashire 4 0.49x
Warwickshire 3 1.74x
Hampshire 2 1.43x
Angus 1 1.58x
Perthshire 1 3.26x
Shropshire 1 1.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 10 Burgers recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.12x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 10 26.12x
Paddington London 8 31.87x
Westray Papa Westray 7 1166.67x
Sheffield 5 23.21x
Kensington London 4 10.54x
Shoreditch London 4 13.51x
Southwark St Saviour 4 113.96x
St Helier 4 60.70x
Birmingham 3 5.23x
Gorton 3 39.37x
Brading 2 107.53x
Chelsea London 2 9.72x
Clapham 2 23.42x
Almondbury 1 30.58x
Croydon 1 5.41x
Dundee 1 4.24x
Lambeth 1 1.68x
Madeley 1 46.30x
Perth Middle Church 1 86.96x
Preston 1 4.61x
St George Hanover Square 1 8.31x
St Giles In Fields London 1 29.85x
St Marylebone London 1 2.74x
St Pancras London 1 1.82x
St Stephen Coleman Street 1 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 3
Elizabeth 3
Mary 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amalia 1
Annie 1
Auguste 1
Catherine 1
Christiani 1
Clara 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ernest 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Hellena 1
Irne 1
Kate 1
Maud 1
May 1
Olga 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alfred 2
Anthony 2
William 2
Adolph 1
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Charles 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
George 1
Henry 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Lawrence 1
Paul 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Theodor 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Burger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Burger surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 459 in 2016. That gives Burger a modern rank of #10,668.

What does the Burger surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who lived in or worked at a fortified town or castle.

What does the Burger map show?

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