NameCensus.

UK surname

Burgess

An occupational surname referring to a citizen of a borough or town, or a freeman.

In the 1881 census there were 20,759 people recorded with the Burgess surname, ranking it #175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 28,016, ranked #199, down from #175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, Salford and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burgess is 29,520 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.0%.

1881 census count

20,759

Ranked #175

Modern count

28,016

2016, ranked #199

Peak year

1999

29,520 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burgess had 20,759 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 28,016 in 2016, ranked #199.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 26,932 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Burgess surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burgess surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Burgess 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 12,070 #207
1861 historical 10,391 #248
1881 historical 20,759 #175
1891 historical 19,550 #200
1901 historical 26,110 #173
1911 historical 26,932 #153
1997 modern 28,053 #190
1998 modern 29,409 #188
1999 modern 29,520 #189
2000 modern 29,166 #190
2001 modern 28,429 #190
2002 modern 28,967 #191
2003 modern 28,342 #191
2004 modern 28,251 #192
2005 modern 27,692 #192
2006 modern 27,576 #193
2007 modern 27,788 #191
2008 modern 27,819 #194
2009 modern 28,441 #195
2010 modern 28,873 #196
2011 modern 28,351 #196
2012 modern 27,806 #196
2013 modern 28,318 #197
2014 modern 28,550 #196
2015 modern 28,152 #199
2016 modern 28,016 #199

Geography

Back to top

Where Burgess' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Stockport, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, Salford, Cheshire East, Ipswich and Trafford. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 018 Thurrock
2 Salford 029 Salford
3 Cheshire East 018 Cheshire East
4 Ipswich 016 Ipswich
5 Trafford 017 Trafford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Burgess

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Burgess

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Burgess, 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 Burgess surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Burgess 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, Burgess 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

Burgess is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Burgess 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 Burgess 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 Burgess, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Burgess

The surname Burgess originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "burgeis" which means a freeman or citizen of a borough or town. The term "borough" itself comes from the Anglo-Saxon "burh" meaning a fortified town or settlement.

Burgess was an occupational surname given to those who held rights as freemen or burgesses in a medieval borough or town. These individuals were often merchants, tradesmen or craftsmen who enjoyed certain privileges and liberties within the borough's jurisdiction.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burgess can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings such as "Burgeis" and "Burgensis" throughout the document.

In the 13th century, the name was found in various records and legal documents, such as the Curia Regis Rolls and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. For example, a certain William Burgess was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1166 in relation to a land transaction in Yorkshire.

The surname Burgess also has connections to various place names in England, such as Burgess Hill in West Sussex and Burgess Park in London. These places likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Burgess who were associated with those locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Burgess throughout history include:

1. Roger Burgess (c. 1325-1392), an English prelate who served as Bishop of Salisbury from 1389 until his death. 2. Anthony Burgess (1917-1993), an English novelist and critic best known for his novel "A Clockwork Orange". 3. Guy Burgess (1911-1963), a British diplomat and Soviet spy who defected to the Soviet Union in 1951, along with several other members of the Cambridge Five spy ring. 4. Thomas Burgess (1784-1837), an English philosopher and bishop who served as Bishop of Salisbury from 1825 until his death. 5. Gelett Burgess (1866-1951), an American author, artist and humorist who is best known for coining the word "blurb" in 1907.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Burgess families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burgess 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. Lancashire leads with 3,040 Burgess' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.26x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,040 1.26x
Middlesex 2,270 1.12x
Cheshire 2,168 4.84x
Surrey 1,125 1.14x
Kent 1,098 1.59x
Staffordshire 824 1.20x
Sussex 805 2.35x
Yorkshire 794 0.39x
Essex 486 1.21x
Hampshire 468 1.13x
Somerset 468 1.43x
Hertfordshire 429 3.07x
Suffolk 376 1.52x
Devon 364 0.86x
Norfolk 361 1.16x
Bedfordshire 333 3.17x
Lincolnshire 331 1.02x
Wiltshire 321 1.79x
Gloucestershire 283 0.71x
Warwickshire 272 0.53x
Berkshire 264 1.73x
Leicestershire 230 1.02x
Northamptonshire 217 1.14x
Glamorgan 211 0.60x
Durham 205 0.34x
Lanarkshire 189 0.29x
Shropshire 185 1.06x
Dorset 184 1.38x
Cambridgeshire 165 1.28x
Cumberland 158 0.90x
Derbyshire 153 0.48x
Angus 152 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 136 1.11x
Worcestershire 126 0.48x
Aberdeenshire 123 0.65x
Midlothian 116 0.43x
Dumfriesshire 115 2.57x
Nottinghamshire 110 0.40x
Cornwall 106 0.46x
Banffshire 88 2.09x
Shetland 74 3.57x
Monmouthshire 72 0.49x
Northumberland 66 0.22x
Oxfordshire 66 0.53x
Fife 64 0.53x
Huntingdonshire 52 1.29x
Morayshire 52 1.65x
Perthshire 38 0.42x
Orkney 37 1.66x
Flintshire 32 0.59x
Denbighshire 29 0.38x
Royal Navy 29 1.20x
Channel Islands 28 0.47x
Renfrewshire 28 0.18x
Ayrshire 27 0.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 22 0.75x
Dunbartonshire 20 0.37x
Radnorshire 20 1.22x
Inverness-shire 18 0.30x
Clackmannanshire 17 1.01x
Selkirkshire 16 0.87x
Montgomeryshire 15 0.32x
Stirlingshire 15 0.20x
Roxburghshire 12 0.33x
Kincardineshire 11 0.45x
Pembrokeshire 10 0.16x
Herefordshire 9 0.11x
Sutherland 9 0.58x
East Lothian 8 0.30x
Peeblesshire 7 0.73x
Ross-shire 7 0.13x
Isle of Man 6 0.16x
Anglesey 5 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.06x
Westmorland 5 0.11x
Brecknockshire 4 0.10x
Wigtownshire 4 0.15x
Berwickshire 3 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.04x
Argyllshire 2 0.04x
Merionethshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.07x
West Lothian 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 260 Burgess' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.47x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 260 1.47x
Islington London 257 1.31x
Salford 194 2.74x
St Pancras London 183 1.12x
Macclesfield 181 9.09x
Bethnal Green London 172 1.95x
Luton 148 8.14x
Manchester 143 1.32x
Ashton Under Lyne 141 2.68x
Brighton 136 1.97x
Liverpool 125 0.85x
Kensington London 122 1.08x
Stoke Upon Trent 115 1.58x
Portsea 113 1.39x
Heaton Norris 111 8.10x
Birmingham 110 0.65x
Camberwell 108 0.83x
Ardwick 106 4.88x
Oldham 106 1.36x
Audley 104 15.35x
St Marylebone London 102 0.94x
Battersea 100 1.34x
Hackney London 99 0.87x
Toxteth Park 98 1.20x
Deptford St Paul 97 1.82x
Stockport 96 4.17x
Newington 92 1.23x
Chelsea London 90 1.47x
Paddington London 86 1.15x
Clerkenwell London 85 1.77x
Shoreditch London 85 0.97x
Maidstone 80 3.88x
Aston 79 0.56x
Pownall Fee 77 38.43x
Chorlton On Medlock 75 1.96x
Gorton 75 3.31x
Mile End Old Town London 75 1.74x
Widnes 75 4.32x
Bedminster 74 2.41x
Hulme 73 1.45x
St George Hanover Square 71 1.99x
Everton 69 0.90x
Lowestoft 69 5.91x
Bollin Fee 68 34.23x
Chorley In Macclesfield 68 49.83x
Hastings St Mary 68 7.99x
Caddington 67 43.55x
Hammersmith London 67 1.34x
Brinnington 65 15.54x
West Ham 65 0.74x
Bromley London 63 1.41x
Glasgow 63 0.54x
Burslem 62 3.16x
Frome 62 7.94x
Montrose 62 5.44x
Ware 62 15.47x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 62 15.55x
Swansea Town 61 2.11x
Hyde 60 4.54x
Greenwich 59 1.83x
Walcot 59 3.39x
Barton Upon Irwell 58 3.20x
Poplar London 58 1.51x
Bermondsey 57 0.94x
Croydon 56 1.02x
Westbury 56 13.37x
Westminster St John 56 2.27x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 55 0.50x
Broughton In Salford 53 2.41x
Govan 53 0.33x
St Luke London 52 1.60x
Denton 51 9.56x
Great Yarmouth 51 1.97x
Wolverhampton 51 0.97x
Leicester St Margaret 50 0.91x
Mobberley 50 48.91x
Combmartin 48 52.36x
Pendleton In Salford 47 1.64x
Altrincham 46 5.88x
Cheadle 46 5.38x
Flamstead 46 35.71x
Warrington 46 1.61x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 45 1.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,240
Elizabeth 792
Sarah 789
Ann 357
Eliza 354
Jane 341
Emma 327
Ellen 324
Annie 312
Alice 304
Hannah 243
Emily 236
Martha 197
Margaret 166
Edith 131
Fanny 130
Louisa 127
Charlotte 125
Harriet 122
Florence 118
Maria 115
Ada 110
Catherine 101
Kate 99
Clara 88
Susan 83
Caroline 82
Agnes 76
Harriett 74
Anne 72
Lucy 72
Frances 68
Rose 66
Amelia 61
Esther 51
Sophia 51
Isabella 49
Matilda 43
Jessie 42
Elizth. 41
Lydia 41
Amy 39
Rebecca 38
Eleanor 35
Minnie 35
Rachel 34
Helen 33
Laura 33
Susannah 33
Gertrude 31

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,238
John 1,135
George 738
Thomas 640
James 619
Henry 475
Charles 402
Joseph 381
Alfred 236
Samuel 223
Arthur 218
Robert 209
Frederick 199
Edward 180
Richard 146
Albert 134
Walter 125
Harry 122
Edwin 92
Frank 91
Benjamin 70
Herbert 70
Daniel 60
David 57
Ernest 53
Peter 52
Wm. 52
Fred 49
Francis 42
Isaac 34
Thos. 30
Stephen 28
Tom 28
Sidney 27
Ralph 26
Geo. 21
Fredrick 18
Fredk. 16
Mark 16
Matthew 16
Willm. 16
Alexander 15
Harold 15
Philip 15
Edmund 14
Lewis 14
Sydney 14
Michael 13
Elijah 12
Leonard 12

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Burgess households.

FAQ

Burgess surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burgess surname in 1881?

In 1881, 20,759 people were recorded with the Burgess surname. That placed it at #175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burgess surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 28,016 in 2016. That gives Burgess a modern rank of #199.

What does the Burgess surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a citizen of a borough or town, or a freeman.

What does the Burgess map show?

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