NameCensus.

UK surname

Burkes

Derived from the Irish surname de Búrca, meaning "from the fortress," or from the English place name Burgh.

In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Burkes surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #24,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Manchester and St Luke. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre Forest, Cheshire West and Chester and Knowsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burkes is 153 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.1%.

1881 census count

64

Ranked #24,561

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

1861

153 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burkes had 64 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 153 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Burkes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burkes surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Burkes 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 153 #15,032
1881 historical 64 #24,561
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 89 #23,922
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 112 #25,644
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 124 #27,049
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

Back to top

Where Burkes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Manchester, St Luke, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Chelsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre Forest, Cheshire West and Chester, Knowsley, Wakefield and Wigan. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 St Luke London (Central Districts)
4 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
5 Chelsea London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre Forest 007 Wyre Forest
2 Cheshire West and Chester 011 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Knowsley 009 Knowsley
4 Wakefield 043 Wakefield
5 Wigan 016 Wigan

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Burkes

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Burkes

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Burkes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Burkes 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Burkes is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burkes is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Burkes falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Burkes 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 Burkes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Burkes

The surname Burkes is of Anglo-Norman origin and is derived from the Old French word "burgh" or "bourg," meaning a small town or village. It is believed to have originated in England during the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name was initially a locational name given to someone who lived in or near a small village or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burkes can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Burgh." This record indicates that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century. Over time, the spelling evolved to various forms such as Burgh, Burghe, and eventually Burkes.

During the Middle Ages, the Burkes family held significant power and influence in various parts of England and Ireland. One notable member of the family was William de Burgh (c. 1160-1206), a powerful Anglo-Norman nobleman who served as Lord of Connaught and played a crucial role in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century.

Another prominent figure with the surname Burkes was Elizabeth Burgh (c. 1284-1327), an English noblewoman who was the daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, and the wife of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. She played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

In the 16th century, Sir John Burkes (c. 1500-1550) was an English soldier and courtier who served under King Henry VIII. He held various positions, including Lieutenant of the Tower of London and Lord Deputy of Ireland.

William Burkes (1608-1679), an English Puritan clergyman and writer, was a prominent figure during the English Civil War. He was a member of the Westminster Assembly and authored several religious works, including "Vindiciæ Legis," a defense of the moral law.

Thomas Burkes (1719-1797) was an Irish-born British explorer and author who is best known for his travels and writings on Spanish America. His work, "An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America," published in 1757, provided valuable insights into the Spanish colonies in the Americas.

The Burkes surname has been associated with various places and locations throughout history, such as Burgh Castle in Norfolk, England, and the town of Burgh in Suffolk, England. The name has also been linked to various noble families and estates, including the de Burgh family, who held lands in Ireland and England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Burkes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burkes 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. Staffordshire leads with 13 Burkes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.17x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 13 6.17x
Lancashire 9 1.21x
Yorkshire 8 1.29x
Worcestershire 6 7.36x
Buckinghamshire 5 13.25x
Cheshire 5 3.63x
Berkshire 3 6.40x
Middlesex 3 0.48x
Warwickshire 3 1.91x
Flintshire 2 11.92x
Lincolnshire 2 2.00x
Nottinghamshire 2 2.38x
Durham 1 0.54x
Essex 1 0.81x
Kent 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bilston in Staffordshire leads with 7 Burkes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 171.57x.

Place Total Index
Bilston 7 171.57x
Dudley 6 60.54x
Tyringham 5 12500.00x
Bury 4 47.28x
Chester St John Baptist 4 161.29x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 17.90x
Reading St Lawrence 3 300.00x
Arnold 2 162.60x
Aston 2 4.61x
Dewsbury 2 31.55x
Grantham 2 153.85x
Hope 2 240.96x
Liverpool 2 4.45x
Spitalfields London 2 42.55x
Wortley In Bramley 2 40.82x
Barking 1 27.70x
Doncaster 1 22.12x
Fridaythorpe 1 1428.57x
Higher Bebington 1 113.64x
Hunslet 1 10.36x
Manchester 1 3.00x
Milverton 1 217.39x
Paddington London 1 4.36x
Preston 1 5.05x
Roundhay 1 588.24x
Wednesbury 1 18.98x
West Bromwich 1 8.29x
Whitburn 1 232.56x
Wigan 1 9.66x
Woolwich 1 12.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Mary 4
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Hannah 3
(Mrs) 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Bridget 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Henrietta 1
Hephzibas 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Mercy 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Thomas 5
John 3
Alfred 2
Henry 2
James 2
Richard 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Michl. 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Silas 1

FAQ

Burkes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burkes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Burkes surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burkes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Burkes a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Burkes surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname de Búrca, meaning "from the fortress," or from the English place name Burgh.

What does the Burkes map show?

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