NameCensus.

UK surname

Burleigh

From a place name meaning "wood or clearing by a fort" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 380 people recorded with the Burleigh surname, ranking it #8,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 629, ranked #8,388, down from #8,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and East Dereham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Breckland and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burleigh is 647 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.5%.

1881 census count

380

Ranked #8,249

Modern count

629

2016, ranked #8,388

Peak year

1998

647 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burleigh had 380 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 629 in 2016, ranked #8,388.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 577 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Burleigh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burleigh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burleigh 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 238 #9,120
1861 historical 240 #10,226
1881 historical 380 #8,249
1891 historical 484 #7,621
1901 historical 577 #7,286
1911 historical 532 #7,480
1997 modern 621 #7,952
1998 modern 647 #7,939
1999 modern 645 #8,007
2000 modern 620 #8,240
2001 modern 610 #8,193
2002 modern 625 #8,209
2003 modern 612 #8,203
2004 modern 615 #8,203
2005 modern 579 #8,482
2006 modern 580 #8,497
2007 modern 592 #8,442
2008 modern 584 #8,591
2009 modern 607 #8,517
2010 modern 612 #8,654
2011 modern 597 #8,723
2012 modern 596 #8,658
2013 modern 615 #8,580
2014 modern 620 #8,575
2015 modern 615 #8,556
2016 modern 629 #8,388

Geography

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Where Burleighs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, East Dereham and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Breckland, Rochdale 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 East Dereham Norfolk
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 064 Cornwall
2 Breckland 005 Breckland
3 Rochdale 014 Rochdale
4 Cornwall 062 Cornwall
5 Wirral 008 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burleigh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burleigh

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Burleigh surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Burleigh household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Burleigh is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burleigh 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

Burleigh falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Burleigh

The surname Burleigh originates from England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning fortified town or manor, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. The name referred to someone who lived near a fortified town or manor located in a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Burleigh appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is spelled as "Burlea" in this document, referring to a location in Berkshire.

Another early reference is found in the Feet of Fines records for Essex in 1202, where the name is spelled "Burlega". These records document the transfer of land ownership and property transactions.

The earliest recorded person with the surname Burleigh is Walter de Burley, a prominent 14th-century philosopher and logician who was born around 1275 in Burley, Rutland. He served as tutor to the son of King Edward III and wrote several influential works on logic and philosophy.

In the 15th century, William Burleigh (c. 1420 – 1494) was an English cleric and diplomat who served as Bishop of Lincoln and Keeper of the Privy Seal under King Henry VII.

During the Tudor period, William Cedyll Burleigh (c. 1520 – 1598), known as Lord Burghley, was a prominent statesman who served as Lord High Treasurer and Chief Minister under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure was John Burleigh (1607 – 1690), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Charterhouse School and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, James Burleigh (1737 – 1821) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Charterhouse School and was renowned for his scholarship in classical literature.

The name Burleigh is also associated with several place names in England, such as Burley in Rutland, Burleigh in Wiltshire, and Burley in Hampshire, reflecting the name's locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burleigh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burleigh 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 70 Burleighs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 70 1.89x
Cornwall 33 7.88x
Norfolk 33 5.81x
Surrey 29 1.61x
Lanarkshire 21 1.76x
Devon 19 2.47x
Kent 17 1.35x
Ayrshire 16 5.78x
Essex 16 2.19x
Lancashire 14 0.32x
Suffolk 14 3.11x
Aberdeenshire 11 3.21x
Northumberland 10 1.82x
Worcestershire 8 1.66x
Hampshire 7 0.92x
Sussex 7 1.12x
Staffordshire 6 0.48x
Stirlingshire 6 4.40x
Gloucestershire 5 0.69x
Herefordshire 5 3.30x
Monmouthshire 4 1.50x
Northamptonshire 4 1.15x
Yorkshire 3 0.08x
Bedfordshire 2 1.04x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.85x
Derbyshire 2 0.35x
Oxfordshire 2 0.88x
Somerset 2 0.34x
Wiltshire 2 0.61x
Angus 1 0.29x
Berkshire 1 0.36x
Channel Islands 1 0.91x
Dorset 1 0.41x
East Lothian 1 2.04x
Glamorgan 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.20x
Renfrewshire 1 0.35x
Roxburghshire 1 1.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. East Dereham in Norfolk leads with 20 Burleighs recorded in 1881 and an index of 278.55x.

Place Total Index
East Dereham 20 278.55x
Gorran 19 1610.17x
Lambeth 19 5.89x
Plymouth St Andrew 16 26.99x
St Pancras London 16 5.38x
Bow London 12 25.49x
Barony 10 3.30x
Dalmellington 10 122.85x
Menheniot 10 574.71x
Norwich St Clement 9 136.57x
Toxteth Park 9 6.06x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 11.19x
Hammersmith London 8 8.78x
Tenbury 8 303.03x
Ayr 6 45.94x
Brighton 6 4.77x
Falkirk 6 18.80x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 6 340.91x
Wolverhampton 6 6.25x
Islington London 5 1.40x
Lesmahagow 5 39.56x
Leyton Low 5 33.72x
Milton In Gravesend 5 26.43x
Plumstead 5 11.89x
Ryde 5 30.71x
Walthamstow 5 19.03x
Cowpen 4 31.57x
Great Chesterford 4 344.83x
Orcop 4 571.43x
Peterborough 4 15.89x
Shoreditch London 4 2.50x
St Germans 4 136.99x
Westbury On Trym 4 16.29x
Wimbledon 4 19.77x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 3 4.68x
Everton 3 2.15x
Govan 3 1.01x
Halesworth 3 94.04x
Newport 3 23.53x
Paddington London 3 2.21x
Saxmundham 3 179.64x
Spitalfields London 3 10.79x
Bathwick 2 30.35x
Bermondsey 2 1.82x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.25x
Chesterfield 2 9.22x
Croydon 2 2.00x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 19.98x
Glasgow 2 0.94x
Hackney London 2 0.96x
Hampstead London 2 3.47x
Haverhill 2 50.00x
Heigham 2 6.56x
Hillingdon 2 16.96x
Hindon 2 285.71x
Kedington 2 168.07x
Minster In Sheppey 2 9.57x
Norwich St Augustine 2 87.34x
Plymouth Charles The 2 5.90x
Richmond 2 7.92x
Rotherfield Greys 2 82.64x
St George Martyr London 2 26.70x
St Martin In Fields 2 9.04x
St Marylebone London 2 1.01x
Stagsden 2 289.86x
Westminster St John 2 4.44x
York St Mary 2 13.18x
Adlington 1 24.33x
Farnborough 1 12.56x
Haddington 1 13.83x
Hereford St Owen 1 19.96x
Littleport 1 22.37x
New Monkland 1 2.83x
Salford 1 0.78x
Shaftesbury St Peter 1 88.50x
Sheffield 1 0.86x
South Elmham St Michael 1 625.00x
St Helier 1 2.80x
Tewkesbury 1 15.46x
Trevethin 1 3.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 15
Mary 13
Alice 7
Eliza 7
Caroline 6
Edith 6
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Louisa 6
Ann 5
Annie 4
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Maria 4
Ada 3
Emma 3
Julia 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Rebecca 3
Sarah 3
Sophia 3
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Ester 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Marion 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
C.A. 1
Cath. 1
Cathleen 1
Celina 1
Diana 1
Eleanor 1
Em. 1
Esther 1
H.E. 1
H.L. 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Iabbella 1
Isabel 1
Jessica 1
Jessie 1
Joanna 1
Tessie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 16
James 14
Samuel 12
George 9
Charles 8
Robert 7
Leonard 4
Albert 3
Edwd. 3
Henry 3
Herbert 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Alfd. 2
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Bennet 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Chas.G. 1
Chas.H. 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Gabriel 1
Horatia 1
Langford 1
Laurence 1
Sampson 1
Sherer 1
Spencer 1
Thos. 1
W.W. 1
Will. 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Burleigh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burleigh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 380 people were recorded with the Burleigh surname. That placed it at #8,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burleigh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 629 in 2016. That gives Burleigh a modern rank of #8,388.

What does the Burleigh surname mean?

From a place name meaning "wood or clearing by a fort" in Old English.

What does the Burleigh map show?

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