NameCensus.

UK surname

Burris

A variant of Burroughs, referring to someone who lived near a fort or castle.

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Burris surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 271, ranked #15,874, up from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mynyddyslwyn, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Bedminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Caerphilly and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Burris is 281 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 160.6%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

271

2016, ranked #15,874

Peak year

2010

281 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Burris had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016, ranked #15,874.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 171 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Burris surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Burris surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Burris 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 87 #18,695
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 171 #16,733
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 242 #15,597
1998 modern 241 #16,065
1999 modern 255 #15,599
2000 modern 245 #15,955
2001 modern 240 #15,912
2002 modern 253 #15,677
2003 modern 255 #15,416
2004 modern 256 #15,453
2005 modern 257 #15,365
2006 modern 264 #15,170
2007 modern 260 #15,476
2008 modern 258 #15,732
2009 modern 269 #15,589
2010 modern 281 #15,441
2011 modern 270 #15,754
2012 modern 266 #15,828
2013 modern 267 #16,053
2014 modern 267 #16,161
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 271 #15,874

Geography

Back to top

Where Burris' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mynyddyslwyn, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, St Philip and Jacob and East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Caerphilly and Mid Sussex. 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 Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Bedminster Somerset
4 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
5 East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Caerphilly 018 Caerphilly
3 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
4 Forest of Dean 006 Forest of Dean
5 Mid Sussex 005 Mid Sussex

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Burris

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Burris

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Burris is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Burris 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

Burris falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Burris

The surname Burris originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "burr" meaning a small hill or mound, and "hyrst" meaning a wooded hill or grove. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a wooded hill or in an area with small hills or mounds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burrys". This entry refers to a landowner or tenant in the county of Suffolk. The spelling of the name continued to evolve over the centuries, with variations such as "Burris", "Burys", and "Burrys" appearing in various historical records.

During the 13th century, the name appears in several medieval manuscripts and records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1230, which mention a "William de Burys". This suggests that the name was well-established in various regions of England by that time.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Burris (c. 1450-1521), a knight and landowner from Lincolnshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and played a role in the Wars of the Roses. Another early figure was Thomas Burris (c. 1520-1587), a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in various parish records, such as the baptism of John Burris in St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, London, in 1620. The name also has ties to several place names in England, such as Burris Hill in Worcestershire and Burris Green in Suffolk.

Other notable individuals with the surname Burris include Robert Burris (1690-1772), a prominent American colonist and landowner in Virginia, and John Burris (1835-1905), a Union Army veteran and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Burris families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Burris 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. Gloucestershire leads with 27 Burris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.57x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 27 13.57x
Monmouthshire 19 25.91x
Middlesex 13 1.28x
Glamorgan 12 6.79x
Somerset 8 4.90x
Northumberland 6 3.98x
Yorkshire 6 0.60x
Durham 3 0.99x
Lancashire 3 0.25x
Hampshire 2 0.96x
Surrey 2 0.40x
Kent 1 0.29x
Staffordshire 1 0.29x
Westmorland 1 4.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westbury On Severn East in Gloucestershire leads with 18 Burris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 400.00x.

Place Total Index
Westbury On Severn East 18 400.00x
Bedminster 8 52.15x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 42.71x
Mynyddyslwyn 7 242.21x
Abergavenny 6 218.18x
Cardiff St Mary 6 61.67x
Leeds 6 10.57x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 76.73x
Kensington London 5 8.87x
St Clement Danes London 5 238.10x
Ystradyfodwg 5 32.28x
Isleworth 3 66.52x
Lamesley 3 185.19x
West Derby 3 8.52x
Clapham 2 15.77x
Lower Machen 2 555.56x
Portsea 2 4.91x
Risca 2 144.93x
Aberystruth 1 15.48x
Clifton 1 9.94x
Kendal 1 24.51x
Llanmartin 1 1666.67x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 5.89x
St Peters 1 62.50x
Tipton 1 9.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 9
James 7
Thomas 7
George 5
John 5
Frederick 3
Benjamin 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Samuel 2
Abel 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Fred 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Oliver 1
Ralph 1
Sydney 1
Tho. 1

FAQ

Burris surname: questions and answers

How common was the Burris surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Burris surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Burris surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016. That gives Burris a modern rank of #15,874.

What does the Burris surname mean?

A variant of Burroughs, referring to someone who lived near a fort or castle.

What does the Burris map show?

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