NameCensus.

UK surname

Burkey

An anglicized form of the German surname Burkhardt, meaning "fortified hill" or "castle on a hill."

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Burkey surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 285, ranked #15,286, up from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bebbington, Thurrock, Grays and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Erewash, Cheshire West and Chester and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burkey is 306 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 220.2%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

285

2016, ranked #15,286

Peak year

2010

306 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burkey had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 285 in 2016, ranked #15,286.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Burkey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burkey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burkey 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 127 #20,496
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 276 #14,290
1998 modern 290 #14,179
1999 modern 294 #14,140
2000 modern 278 #14,659
2001 modern 273 #14,614
2002 modern 277 #14,764
2003 modern 275 #14,652
2004 modern 283 #14,418
2005 modern 286 #14,242
2006 modern 274 #14,769
2007 modern 281 #14,660
2008 modern 286 #14,618
2009 modern 293 #14,669
2010 modern 306 #14,529
2011 modern 290 #14,933
2012 modern 282 #15,158
2013 modern 286 #15,259
2014 modern 286 #15,378
2015 modern 281 #15,457
2016 modern 285 #15,286

Geography

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Where Burkeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bebbington, Thurrock, Grays, Liverpool, Neston and Bidstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Erewash, Cheshire West and Chester and Wirral. 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 Bebbington Cheshire
2 Thurrock, Grays Essex
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Neston Cheshire
5 Bidstone Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Erewash 014 Erewash
2 Cheshire West and Chester 006 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Wirral 035 Wirral
4 Wirral 017 Wirral
5 Cheshire West and Chester 001 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burkey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burkey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Burkey, 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 Burkey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Burkey 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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Burkey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Burkey 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

Burkey falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Burkey

The surname Burkey is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria, during the medieval period. It is derived from the German word "burg," meaning a fortified town or castle, and the suffix "-er," indicating a person associated with that place. This suggests that the name Burkey was likely borne by individuals who hailed from or lived in proximity to a fortified settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burkey can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Duchy of Saxony, which mentions a certain "Burkehart" in the year 1182. This individual's name likely evolved into the modern form of Burkey over time.

In the 14th century, the Burkey name appears in various records from the city of Nuremberg, located in the Franconian region of Bavaria. These records document several individuals bearing this surname, such as Hans Burkey, a merchant who lived in the late 1300s.

During the 16th century, the Burkey name gained prominence in the nearby town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a family of that name became influential members of the local community. One notable figure from this era was Johann Burkey, a respected scholar and theologian who lived from 1525 to 1592.

As the centuries progressed, the Burkey surname spread beyond Bavaria to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. In the 18th century, a prominent individual named Friedrich Burkey (1723-1798) was a renowned composer and organist from the city of Bayreuth in northern Bavaria.

Another notable bearer of the Burkey name was Karl Burkey (1861-1929), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Dresden during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the Burkey surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through various waves of migration. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the medieval and early modern periods of German history, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burkey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burkey 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. Cheshire leads with 72 Burkeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.58x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 72 37.58x
Lancashire 13 1.26x
Essex 3 1.75x
Middlesex 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Higher Bebington in Cheshire leads with 25 Burkeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2032.52x.

Place Total Index
Higher Bebington 25 2032.52x
Ness 13 11818.18x
Liverpool 12 19.18x
Birkenhead 9 58.94x
Tranmere 9 127.84x
Poulton Cum Spital 6 5000.00x
Little Neston 4 1290.32x
Prenton 3 10000.00x
West Ham 3 7.93x
Lower Bebington 2 175.44x
Harrow On The Hill 1 57.80x
Kirkdale 1 5.77x
Little Meolse 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 5
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Jane 3
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Adelaide 1
Charlotte 1
Emma 1
Emmily 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 7
Samuel 4
Charles 3
George 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Peter 3
Thomas 3
Benjamin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Henry 1
Richard 1
Robart 1
Robert 1
Thos.Wm.H. 1

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 Burkey households.

FAQ

Burkey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burkey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Burkey surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burkey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 285 in 2016. That gives Burkey a modern rank of #15,286.

What does the Burkey surname mean?

An anglicized form of the German surname Burkhardt, meaning "fortified hill" or "castle on a hill."

What does the Burkey map show?

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