NameCensus.

UK surname

Burnet

Derived from an old French term referring to a person with brown or tawny hair or complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 1,100 people recorded with the Burnet surname, ranking it #3,612 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 437, ranked #11,045, down from #3,612 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Forfar and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastleigh, Deans Village and Helensburgh West and Rhu.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burnet is 1,420 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 60.3%.

1881 census count

1,100

Ranked #3,612

Modern count

437

2016, ranked #11,045

Peak year

1851

1,420 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burnet had 1,100 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,612 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 437 in 2016, ranked #11,045.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,420 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Burnet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burnet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burnet 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 1,420 #2,027
1861 historical 1,326 #2,161
1881 historical 1,100 #3,612
1891 historical 947 #4,373
1901 historical 780 #5,756
1911 historical 348 #10,297
1997 modern 396 #11,086
1998 modern 394 #11,474
1999 modern 416 #11,110
2000 modern 417 #11,068
2001 modern 400 #11,229
2002 modern 406 #11,315
2003 modern 411 #11,044
2004 modern 418 #10,923
2005 modern 416 #10,855
2006 modern 419 #10,837
2007 modern 423 #10,888
2008 modern 420 #11,033
2009 modern 427 #11,129
2010 modern 429 #11,324
2011 modern 422 #11,359
2012 modern 420 #11,278
2013 modern 436 #11,106
2014 modern 432 #11,287
2015 modern 428 #11,276
2016 modern 437 #11,045

Geography

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Where Burnets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Forfar, Govan Combination, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eastleigh, Deans Village, Helensburgh West and Rhu and Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts. 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 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
2 Forfar Forfar
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eastleigh 007 Eastleigh
2 Deans Village City of Edinburgh
3 Eastleigh 015 Eastleigh
4 Helensburgh West and Rhu Argyll and Bute
5 Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burnet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burnet

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Burnet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Burnet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Burnet is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burnet 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

Burnet falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Burnet

The surname Burnet has its origins in Scotland, where it emerged in the 12th century as a locational name. It is derived from the Old French word "brunet", meaning "brown" or "dark brown", referring to the complexion or hair color of the original bearer. The name is thought to have been given as a nickname or descriptive term before becoming an inherited surname.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls to King Edward I of England. One of the entries mentions Walterus Burnette from Roxburghshire, Scotland. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Burnat, Burnett, and Burnard. It was particularly prevalent in the counties of Fife, Roxburgh, and Ayr. Some notable early bearers of the name include John Burnett, a landowner in Fife mentioned in records from 1399, and Robert Burnett, a Scottish clergyman and writer from the 16th century (c. 1512-1592).

The Burnets of Leys, a prominent Scottish family, trace their ancestry to Robert Burnet, who was granted lands near Criggie in Aberdeenshire in the early 15th century. This branch of the family produced several notable individuals, including Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715), a Scottish philosopher and historian who served as Bishop of Salisbury.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Burnet (c. 1635-1715), an English theologian and writer best known for his work "Sacred Theory of the Earth". He proposed a theory about the formation of the Earth and the biblical Flood, which influenced early geological thought.

In the 18th century, James Burnet (1714-1799), also known as Lord Monboddo, was a Scottish judge, scholar, and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of language and human nature.

The Burnet surname has also been associated with place names, such as Burnettholm in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and Burnettown in Aberdeenshire. These locations likely derived their names from the surname, indicating the presence of Burnet families in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burnet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burnet 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. Lanarkshire leads with 153 Burnets recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.42x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 153 4.42x
Midlothian 148 10.33x
Aberdeenshire 80 8.08x
Middlesex 79 0.74x
Roxburghshire 66 34.08x
Lancashire 48 0.38x
Fife 47 7.43x
Lincolnshire 33 1.93x
Angus 30 3.03x
East Lothian 28 19.77x
Renfrewshire 27 3.26x
Devon 24 1.08x
Dumfriesshire 23 9.74x
Stirlingshire 21 5.33x
Yorkshire 21 0.20x
Shropshire 20 2.17x
Durham 18 0.57x
Selkirkshire 18 18.61x
West Lothian 17 10.56x
Kent 16 0.44x
Kirkcudbrightshire 16 10.34x
Banffshire 14 6.31x
Sussex 11 0.61x
Cumberland 10 1.09x
Northumberland 10 0.63x
Warwickshire 10 0.37x
Hampshire 9 0.41x
Bedfordshire 7 1.26x
Inverness-shire 7 2.19x
Sutherland 7 8.51x
Glamorgan 6 0.32x
Surrey 6 0.12x
Berwickshire 5 3.86x
Buteshire 5 7.72x
Norfolk 5 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.35x
Cornwall 4 0.33x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.39x
Ross-shire 4 1.36x
Cheshire 3 0.13x
Kincardineshire 3 2.30x
Worcestershire 3 0.21x
Argyllshire 2 0.67x
Channel Islands 2 0.63x
Essex 2 0.09x
Gloucestershire 2 0.10x
Nairnshire 2 6.13x
Perthshire 2 0.42x
Staffordshire 2 0.06x
Ayrshire 1 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.22x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.13x
Monmouthshire 1 0.13x
Morayshire 1 0.60x
Northamptonshire 1 0.10x
Orkney 1 0.85x
Peeblesshire 1 1.99x
Shetland 1 0.92x
Somerset 1 0.06x
Wigtownshire 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 81 Burnets recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.26x.

Place Total Index
Barony 81 9.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 57 9.89x
Govan 38 4.44x
Dysart 26 61.00x
Hawick 25 57.68x
King Edward 21 184.05x
Broseley 20 121.88x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 16 47.23x
Tranent 16 83.64x
Lewisham 15 7.71x
Wilton 15 70.59x
Stoke Newington London 13 15.61x
Wigan 12 6.77x
Dundee 11 2.97x
Edinburgh St Marys 11 39.51x
Glasgow 11 1.79x
Kensington London 10 1.68x
Newchurch 10 9.63x
Scoonie 10 72.94x
St Marylebone London 10 1.75x
Aberdeen Old Machar 9 4.35x
Blantyre 9 25.00x
Campsie 9 41.59x
Cathcart 9 20.08x
Islington London 9 0.87x
Rothiemay 9 178.93x
South Mimms 9 61.39x
Tyrie 9 72.41x
Chudleigh 8 113.15x
Edinburgh Canongate 8 21.95x
Edinburgh St Stephens 8 28.38x
Langholm 8 47.14x
South Leith 8 4.96x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 7 3.78x
Carluke 7 22.29x
Dalmeny 7 113.64x
Flimby 7 89.97x
Galashiels 7 19.57x
Great Grimsby 7 6.45x
Hobkirk 7 286.89x
Kincardine O Neil 7 99.01x
Laceby 7 188.17x
Luton 7 7.30x
North Leith 7 10.56x
Portree 7 59.27x
Slamannan 7 32.42x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 2.16x
Balmaghie 6 176.99x
Brinkhill 6 1090.91x
Eckford 6 179.10x
Falkland 6 60.30x
Inveresk 6 15.47x
Kelton 6 47.21x
Little Steeping 6 600.00x
Margam 6 28.90x
Ryhope 6 27.17x
St Pancras London 6 0.70x
Thornton Steward 6 659.34x
Tormoham 6 6.37x
West Greenock 6 4.03x
Birmingham 5 0.56x
Brighton 5 1.37x
Creich 5 61.05x
East Greenock 5 6.39x
Hampstead London 5 3.00x
Holywell 5 61.12x
Liverpool 5 0.65x
Melrose 5 20.54x
Rothesay 5 15.94x
Sunbury 5 38.94x
Beeston 4 24.15x
Forfar 4 7.46x
Gainsborough 4 9.93x
Gordon 4 130.72x
Half Morton 4 218.58x
Hamilton 4 4.15x
Middlebie 4 56.42x
Newbattle 4 32.68x
Paddington London 4 1.02x
Urr 4 19.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 13
Ann 9
Jane 8
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Emily 6
Isabella 6
Edith 5
Eliza 5
Annie 4
Emma 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Jessie 4
Margaret 4
Augusta 3
Kate 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Bridget 2
Ellen 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Isa 2
Lilly 2
Louisa 2
Mabel 2
Martha 2
Selica 2
Anie 1
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Bell 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Carrie 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Edna 1
Elizeth. 1
Esther 1
Hariett 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Ida 1
Janet 1
Joyce 1
Lek 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 23
William 20
James 15
Thomas 12
Joseph 10
Henry 8
Robert 8
George 7
Arthur 4
Alfred 3
Victor 3
Aaron 2
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Enoch 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Amos 1
Aquila 1
Archie 1
Benjamin 1
Cecil 1
Clarance 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Fielder 1
Frederich 1
Geo. 1
Gibert 1
Gilbert 1
Hamilton 1
Harrold 1
Horatio 1
Isaac 1
Jonas 1
Mac 1
Nathan 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Wm.C. 1

FAQ

Burnet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burnet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,100 people were recorded with the Burnet surname. That placed it at #3,612 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burnet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 437 in 2016. That gives Burnet a modern rank of #11,045.

What does the Burnet surname mean?

Derived from an old French term referring to a person with brown or tawny hair or complexion.

What does the Burnet map show?

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