NameCensus.

UK surname

Burr

An English occupational surname referring to a cloth-maker or someone who worked with coarse wool cloth.

In the 1881 census there were 2,415 people recorded with the Burr surname, ranking it #1,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,327, ranked #2,045, down from #1,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Fyvie. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Inverurie North and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burr is 3,732 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.8%.

1881 census count

2,415

Ranked #1,841

Modern count

3,327

2016, ranked #2,045

Peak year

1998

3,732 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burr had 2,415 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,327 in 2016, ranked #2,045.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,320 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Burr surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burr surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Burr 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 1,605 #1,795
1861 historical 1,473 #1,923
1881 historical 2,415 #1,841
1891 historical 2,602 #1,830
1901 historical 3,225 #1,737
1911 historical 3,320 #1,571
1997 modern 3,592 #1,802
1998 modern 3,732 #1,806
1999 modern 3,730 #1,820
2000 modern 3,657 #1,850
2001 modern 3,572 #1,847
2002 modern 3,611 #1,877
2003 modern 3,501 #1,885
2004 modern 3,478 #1,903
2005 modern 3,374 #1,935
2006 modern 3,353 #1,944
2007 modern 3,363 #1,958
2008 modern 3,371 #1,978
2009 modern 3,431 #1,989
2010 modern 3,522 #1,977
2011 modern 3,444 #1,999
2012 modern 3,335 #2,019
2013 modern 3,423 #2,002
2014 modern 3,402 #2,033
2015 modern 3,350 #2,038
2016 modern 3,327 #2,045

Geography

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Where Burrs are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Inverurie North, Blaenau Gwent and Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells. 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 Fyvie Aberdeen
5 Tarves Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 009 Mendip
2 Inverurie North Aberdeenshire
3 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
4 Mendip 006 Mendip
5 Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Burr

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Burr

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Burr, 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 Burr surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Burr 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Burr is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Burr 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

Burr 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 Burr 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 Burr, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Burr

The surname Burr has its roots in the Old English word 'byrgen' or 'burren', meaning a burial place or hill. It is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 5th to 11th centuries.

In the early medieval period, Burr was a topographic surname, given to individuals living near a burial mound or hill. It is found in areas like Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire, where such landscape features were common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burr dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Burred in Cambridgeshire. Other early records include a Robertus de Bure in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1198, and a Henry de la Bure in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268.

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Burgh, Borowe, and Burrough, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. These variations were often associated with place names, such as Burrow-on-the-Hill in Leicestershire and Burrough Green in Cambridgeshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Burr include Aaron Burr (1756-1836), the third Vice President of the United States and a prominent political figure. Another famous bearer was the English artist and engraver Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677), whose last name was sometimes spelled as Hollar Burr.

Other historical figures with the surname Burr include Jonathan Burr (1635-1641), one of the first settlers of Fairfield, Connecticut; Joseph Burr (1610-1653), an early colonist of Hartford, Connecticut; and Theodosia Burr (1783-1813), the daughter of Aaron Burr and a prominent figure in her own right.

The surname Burr has also been connected to other prominent families throughout history, such as the Burrs of Scotland and the Burr-Benningtons of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Burr families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burr 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 503 Burrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.14x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 503 2.14x
Kent 389 4.86x
Aberdeenshire 221 10.16x
Surrey 185 1.62x
Bedfordshire 134 11.02x
Essex 127 2.74x
Hertfordshire 109 6.73x
Yorkshire 93 0.40x
Somerset 74 1.96x
Lincolnshire 66 1.76x
Warwickshire 61 1.03x
Sussex 42 1.06x
Lancashire 40 0.14x
Northamptonshire 30 1.36x
Cambridgeshire 29 1.95x
Hampshire 27 0.56x
Durham 25 0.36x
Gloucestershire 24 0.52x
Dorset 22 1.43x
Buckinghamshire 21 1.48x
Shropshire 19 0.94x
Monmouthshire 18 1.06x
Norfolk 17 0.47x
Wiltshire 17 0.82x
Cheshire 13 0.25x
Lanarkshire 9 0.12x
Midlothian 9 0.29x
Devon 8 0.16x
Staffordshire 8 0.10x
Renfrewshire 7 0.38x
Banffshire 6 1.23x
Huntingdonshire 6 1.29x
Royal Navy 6 2.14x
West Lothian 6 1.70x
Cumberland 5 0.25x
Derbyshire 5 0.14x
Suffolk 5 0.17x
Angus 4 0.18x
Glamorgan 4 0.10x
Brecknockshire 2 0.43x
Northumberland 2 0.06x
Worcestershire 2 0.07x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Channel Islands 1 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.19x
East Lothian 1 0.32x
Fife 1 0.07x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Isle of Man 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. Tarves in Aberdeenshire leads with 54 Burrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 262.52x.

Place Total Index
Tarves 54 262.52x
Islington London 52 2.28x
Chelsea London 37 5.23x
Hackney London 37 2.81x
Tonbridge 37 12.81x
Lambeth 35 1.71x
Wilshampstead 33 499.24x
Marden 32 170.39x
St Pancras London 28 1.48x
Birmingham 27 1.37x
Fyvie 26 73.28x
Brenchley 25 87.20x
Croydon 25 3.94x
Shillington 25 139.59x
Tottenham 25 6.69x
Ashwick 24 392.80x
Paddington London 24 2.78x
Horsemonden 23 196.58x
St George Hanover Square 23 5.56x
West Ham 23 2.25x
Kensington London 22 1.69x
Camberwell 20 1.33x
Battersea 19 2.20x
Martin In Sleaford 19 289.19x
Bedwellty 18 6.01x
Wadhurst 18 69.26x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 17 4.18x
Ashwell 17 133.75x
Chorley 17 10.87x
Hornsey 16 5.39x
New Deer 16 40.64x
Aberdeen Old Machar 15 3.30x
All Hallows Barking 15 255.97x
Boughton Monchelsea 15 169.88x
Coventry St Michael 15 7.89x
Hampstead London 15 4.10x
Maidstone 15 6.29x
March 15 30.12x
Portsea 15 1.59x
Bromley London 14 2.71x
Lewisham 14 3.28x
St Marylebone London 14 1.12x
Chiswick 13 10.13x
Pembury 13 114.44x
Brightside Bierlow 12 2.63x
Clerkenwell London 12 2.17x
Cockerton 12 53.55x
Filey 12 63.83x
Great Hadham 12 114.94x
Great Waltham 12 63.56x
Rayne 12 116.17x
Barkway 11 172.68x
Cople 11 298.10x
Cuxton 11 348.10x
Enfield 11 7.14x
Putney 11 10.28x
Wandsworth 11 4.87x
Willington 11 552.76x
Acton 10 7.26x
Aston 10 0.61x
Caterham 10 19.77x
Chigwell 10 22.86x
Danbury 10 127.23x
Evenley 10 247.52x
Finchley 10 11.11x
Southwark St Saviour 10 8.29x
Tyrie 10 36.64x
Walcot 10 4.97x
Yalding 10 49.43x
Barton In Clay 9 105.39x
Bermondsey 9 1.29x
Bethnal Green London 9 0.88x
Bradfield 9 10.03x
Fulham London 9 2.64x
Heston 9 11.54x
Morden 9 137.83x
Stockton On Tees 9 2.67x
Watford 9 7.17x
Bishop Norton 8 279.72x
Colchester St Botolph 8 20.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 132
John 97
George 92
Henry 63
Thomas 59
James 58
Charles 50
Alfred 39
Joseph 30
Walter 29
Edward 27
Robert 27
Arthur 26
Frederick 20
Harry 19
Albert 18
Ernest 16
Richard 14
Frank 13
Edwin 12
David 9
Herbert 9
Samuel 9
Benjamin 7
Francis 6
Horace 6
Percy 6
Stephen 6
Thos. 5
Abraham 4
Fred 4
Frederic 4
Josiah 4
Wm. 4
Ebenezer 3
Elijah 3
Enoch 3
Leonard 3
Louis 3
Sidney 3
Tom 3
Andrew 2
Fred. 2
Jeremiah 2
Joshua 2
Kingsford 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Philip 2
Reginald 2

FAQ

Burr surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burr surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,415 people were recorded with the Burr surname. That placed it at #1,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burr surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,327 in 2016. That gives Burr a modern rank of #2,045.

What does the Burr surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a cloth-maker or someone who worked with coarse wool cloth.

What does the Burr map show?

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