NameCensus.

UK surname

Burningham

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to the homestead or farm of a family named Burn or Bourne.

In the 1881 census there were 184 people recorded with the Burningham surname, ranking it #13,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 329, ranked #13,798, down from #13,551 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kingsley, Henley-on-Thames and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Teignbridge, Canterbury and Waverley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burningham is 415 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.8%.

1881 census count

184

Ranked #13,551

Modern count

329

2016, ranked #13,798

Peak year

1911

415 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burningham had 184 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,551 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 329 in 2016, ranked #13,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 415 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Burningham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burningham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burningham 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 151 #12,840
1861 historical 150 #15,296
1881 historical 184 #13,551
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 359 #10,242
1911 historical 415 #9,049
1997 modern 366 #11,781
1998 modern 379 #11,851
1999 modern 381 #11,873
2000 modern 391 #11,591
2001 modern 383 #11,580
2002 modern 376 #11,989
2003 modern 362 #12,114
2004 modern 364 #12,110
2005 modern 359 #12,143
2006 modern 363 #12,123
2007 modern 352 #12,546
2008 modern 350 #12,694
2009 modern 356 #12,800
2010 modern 358 #13,001
2011 modern 351 #13,059
2012 modern 348 #13,020
2013 modern 353 #13,104
2014 modern 338 #13,624
2015 modern 328 #13,840
2016 modern 329 #13,798

Geography

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Where Burninghams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kingsley, Henley-on-Thames, London parishes, Petworth and Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Teignbridge, Canterbury, Waverley, Camden 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 Kingsley Surrey
2 Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Petworth Sussex
5 Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Teignbridge 017 Teignbridge
2 Canterbury 008 Canterbury
3 Waverley 006 Waverley
4 Camden 002 Camden
5 Wirral 004 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burningham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burningham

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Burningham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Burningham 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Burningham is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burningham is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Burningham falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Burningham

The surname Burningham has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "burna" and "inga," which together mean "the people living by a stream or brook." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname likely resided in an area near a watercourse.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Burningham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of the country by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a notable individual named William de Burningham was recorded as holding land in the county of Hertfordshire. The inclusion of the prefix "de" in his name indicates that he was likely from a specific place called Burningham, which was likely a settlement near a stream or brook.

Over the centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Burninghame, Burnyngham, and Burnyngham. These variations reflect the evolution of language and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions during that time period.

One of the earliest documented instances of the modern spelling "Burningham" can be found in parish records from the village of Burningham in Norfolk, dating back to the late 16th century. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around this area.

Notable individuals with the surname Burningham include:

1. Thomas Burningham (c. 1630-1693), an English merchant and landowner in Virginia during the colonial era. 2. John Burningham (1936-2022), a renowned British children's book author and illustrator, best known for works such as "Mr. Gumpy's Outing" and "Granpa." 3. Sarah Burningham (b. 1970), a British actress and writer, known for her roles in TV shows like "Lovejoy" and "Heartbeat." 4. Robert Burningham (b. 1948), an English businessman and former chairman of the Wembley Stadium board. 5. William Burningham (1781-1859), an English landscape painter and engraver known for his depictions of rural scenes.

While the surname Burningham has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by migration and descendants of the original bearers of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burningham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burningham 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. Surrey leads with 88 Burninghams recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.06x.

County Total Index
Surrey 88 10.06x
Middlesex 25 1.39x
Hampshire 24 6.52x
Sussex 15 4.96x
Berkshire 6 4.45x
Essex 6 1.69x
Oxfordshire 6 5.41x
Kent 4 0.65x
Monmouthshire 2 1.54x
Somerset 2 0.69x
Suffolk 2 0.91x
Brecknockshire 1 2.79x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.88x
Dorset 1 0.85x
Wiltshire 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farnham in Surrey leads with 44 Burninghams recorded in 1881 and an index of 647.06x.

Place Total Index
Farnham 44 647.06x
Petworth 12 662.98x
Wandsworth 11 63.66x
Hascombe 8 2962.96x
Holybourne 8 2222.22x
Poplar London 8 23.61x
Chiswick 6 61.16x
Padworth 6 3529.41x
Rotherfield Greys 6 512.82x
Seale 6 1071.43x
North Stoneham 5 595.24x
Camberwell 4 3.49x
Petersham 4 1142.86x
Battersea 3 4.54x
Bethnal Green London 3 3.85x
Dover St James 3 111.94x
Newington 3 4.52x
Odiham 3 186.34x
Croydon 2 4.12x
Fulham London 2 7.68x
Godalming 2 36.30x
Hartley Wintney 2 180.18x
Hopton 2 370.37x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 26.46x
Ore 2 88.89x
Romford 2 35.71x
St Woollos 2 13.81x
Twickenham 2 25.97x
Upminster 2 270.27x
Alverstoke 1 7.51x
Builth 1 112.36x
Chatham 1 5.93x
Chertsey 1 17.70x
Devizes St John 1 84.03x
Froyle 1 212.77x
Hackney London 1 0.99x
Hailsham 1 54.64x
Havering 1 370.37x
Holdenhurst 1 10.36x
Kensington London 1 1.00x
Paddington London 1 1.52x
Portland 1 15.80x
Selborne 1 133.33x
Southampton All Sts 1 15.85x
Southampton St Mary 1 4.32x
St Andrewthe Great 1 68.03x
St Marylebone London 1 1.04x
Writtle 1 68.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Ellen 7
Emily 6
Hannah 4
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Minnie 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Alles 1
Amn 1
Constance 1
Daisy 1
Edgar 1
Elen 1
Flora 1
Harriett 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
May 1
Mildred 1
Olive 1
Rhoda 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Susannah 1
Tryfosa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
John 7
James 6
Thomas 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Edwin 5
Henry 5
Joseph 5
Frederick 4
Charles 3
Frank 3
George 3
Oliver 3
Richard 3
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Clifford 1
Dan 1
Darcy 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Eli 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Ishmael 1
Lothian 1
Luther 1
Orlando 1
Thos. 1
Willis 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Burningham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burningham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 184 people were recorded with the Burningham surname. That placed it at #13,551 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burningham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 329 in 2016. That gives Burningham a modern rank of #13,798.

What does the Burningham surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to the homestead or farm of a family named Burn or Bourne.

What does the Burningham map show?

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