NameCensus.

UK surname

Burls

In the 1881 census there were 178 people recorded with the Burls surname, ranking it #13,840 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #13,840 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Thurrock, Grays. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redbridge, North Devon and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burls is 189 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.7%.

1881 census count

178

Ranked #13,840

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

1901

189 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burls had 178 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,840 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 189 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Burls surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burls surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burls 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 110 #16,093
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 178 #13,840
1891 historical 166 #17,077
1901 historical 189 #15,684
1911 historical 185 #15,686
1997 modern 134 #22,608
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 155 #21,341
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 112 #26,800
2008 modern 117 #26,351
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 122 #26,647
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Burls' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Thurrock, Grays and Hatfield Broad Oak. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redbridge, North Devon, West Dorset, Bromley and Windsor and Maidenhead. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Thurrock, Grays Essex
5 Hatfield Broad Oak Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redbridge 008 Redbridge
2 North Devon 014 North Devon
3 West Dorset 005 West Dorset
4 Bromley 009 Bromley
5 Windsor and Maidenhead 013 Windsor and Maidenhead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burls

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burls

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Burls surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Burls 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 often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Burls is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Burls 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

Burls falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Burls families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burls 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. Essex leads with 79 Burls' recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.92x.

County Total Index
Essex 79 22.92x
Middlesex 34 1.95x
Surrey 27 3.17x
Kent 14 2.35x
Hertfordshire 6 4.99x
Wiltshire 6 3.89x
Gloucestershire 5 1.46x
Durham 2 0.39x
Yorkshire 2 0.12x
Bedfordshire 1 1.11x
Channel Islands 1 1.93x
Devon 1 0.28x
Warwickshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manuden in Essex leads with 11 Burls' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2558.14x.

Place Total Index
Manuden 11 2558.14x
Lambeth 10 6.57x
Grays Thurrock 9 281.25x
Hatfield Broad Oak 8 689.66x
Lambourne 8 1568.63x
Penge 8 71.75x
Sheering 7 2187.50x
Camberwell 6 5.38x
Chelmsford 6 101.52x
Chelsea London 6 11.40x
Greenwich 6 21.58x
Harlow 6 402.68x
Islington London 6 3.55x
St Marylebone London 6 6.44x
Swindon 6 50.08x
Great Warley 5 641.03x
Brentwood 4 190.48x
Mile End Old Town London 4 10.76x
Stocking Pelham 4 4000.00x
Cheltenham 3 11.36x
Chislehurst 3 94.04x
Farnham 3 1000.00x
Great Dunmow 3 166.67x
Messing 3 697.67x
St Luke London 3 10.71x
Bishop Stortford 2 49.75x
Bristol St James In 2 39.68x
Newington 2 3.10x
Paddington London 2 3.12x
Westminster St James 2 11.14x
Whitechapel London 2 11.62x
Winlaton 2 40.16x
Bexley 1 18.98x
Canterbury St Mary 1 25.00x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.18x
Doncaster 1 7.91x
Ermington 1 75.76x
Farnham 1 15.11x
Hammersmith London 1 2.33x
High Ongar 1 156.25x
Ingatestone 1 181.82x
Kensington London 1 1.03x
Leamington 1 34.25x
Lewisham 1 3.15x
Luton 1 6.39x
Margate St John Baptist 1 9.17x
North Ockendon 1 500.00x
Scampston 1 714.29x
Springfield 1 66.23x
Stanford Rivers 1 172.41x
Stebbing 1 149.25x
Trinity 1 83.33x
Wapping London 1 75.19x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
Charles 9
John 8
George 6
Alfred 4
James 4
Edward 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Bernard 2
Frank 2
Martin 2
Peter 2
Sidney 2
Walter 2
Willie 2
Aaron 1
Adam 1
Albt. 1
Arthur 1
Clifford 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
King 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
W. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Burls surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burls surname in 1881?

In 1881, 178 people were recorded with the Burls surname. That placed it at #13,840 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burls surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Burls a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Burls map show?

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