NameCensus.

UK surname

Bursey

A surname derived from a place name in England, possibly referring to someone from Bury.

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Bursey surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 156, ranked #23,098, down from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ringwood, Milford with Keyhaven (incl. Efford) and Bangor. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Kesteven, New Forest and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bursey is 200 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 95.0%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

156

2016, ranked #23,098

Peak year

1999

200 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bursey had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016, ranked #23,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bursey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bursey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bursey 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 112 #21,382
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 182 #18,693
1998 modern 189 #18,737
1999 modern 200 #18,237
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 176 #19,415
2002 modern 165 #20,619
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 142 #22,724
2007 modern 140 #23,231
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 141 #24,258
2013 modern 149 #23,765
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 156 #23,098

Geography

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Where Burseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ringwood, Milford with Keyhaven (incl. Efford), Bangor, London parishes and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Kesteven, New Forest, West Dorset and Tendring. 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 Ringwood Hampshire
2 Milford with Keyhaven (incl. Efford) Hampshire
3 Bangor Denbighshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Kesteven 001 North Kesteven
2 New Forest 018 New Forest
3 West Dorset 002 West Dorset
4 New Forest 005 New Forest
5 Tendring 014 Tendring

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bursey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bursey

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bursey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bursey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bursey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bursey is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bursey falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bursey

The surname Bursey is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English name "Burcey," which was derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning "borough" or "fortified town," and "ey" meaning "island."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bursey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, which mentions a person named "William de Burcey." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific place or region in Yorkshire.

During the medieval period, the name Bursey appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, which listed a "John Bursey" among the taxpayers. The name was also found in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1381, which recorded a land transaction involving a "Robert Bursey."

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, "Bursey." One notable individual from this era was John Bursey, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who lived from around 1520 to 1590.

Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Bursey, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1629. He was a successful merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.

During the 17th century, the name Bursey appeared in various parish records across England, including in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Bursey (1635-1715), a Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire.

In the 18th century, the Bursey family established roots in the American colonies, with several individuals bearing the name appearing in colonial records. One such person was William Bursey (1725-1804), a farmer and landowner in Virginia.

As the name spread across Britain and its colonies, it continued to be associated with various occupations and professions, from merchants and tradesmen to clergymen and landowners. The surname Bursey remains in use today, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bursey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bursey 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. Hampshire leads with 24 Burseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.01x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 24 15.01x
Middlesex 14 1.79x
Cornwall 8 9.06x
Staffordshire 8 3.04x
Surrey 5 1.32x
Gloucestershire 4 2.61x
Kent 4 1.50x
Oxfordshire 3 6.23x
Warwickshire 3 1.52x
Sussex 2 1.52x
Bedfordshire 1 2.48x
Devon 1 0.62x
Durham 1 0.43x
Norfolk 1 0.83x
Yorkshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ringwood in Hampshire leads with 10 Burseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 980.39x.

Place Total Index
Ringwood 10 980.39x
Christchurch 8 230.55x
Walsall Borough 8 392.16x
St Blazey 5 641.03x
Camberwell 4 8.03x
Hackney London 4 9.14x
Bristol St Stephen 3 750.00x
Minster In Sheppey 3 68.03x
Oxford St Giles 3 130.43x
Shadwell London 3 137.61x
St Mary Extra 3 232.56x
Westminster St Margaret 3 79.79x
Birmingham 2 3.05x
Brockenhurst 2 714.29x
Mylor 2 338.98x
Paddington London 2 6.97x
Battersea 1 3.48x
Bedford St Cuthbert 1 277.78x
Brighton 1 3.77x
Clawton 1 833.33x
Clifton 1 12.92x
Darlington 1 11.16x
Edgbaston 1 16.39x
Great Yarmouth 1 10.06x
Islington London 1 1.32x
Lymington 1 84.75x
Salehurst 1 175.44x
Sheffield 1 4.06x
St Marylebone London 1 2.40x
Tonbridge 1 10.42x
Tywardreath 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Alice 4
Emily 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Rosanah 2
Ada 1
Beatrice 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Louisa 1
Maud 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Bursey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bursey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Bursey surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bursey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016. That gives Bursey a modern rank of #23,098.

What does the Bursey surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name in England, possibly referring to someone from Bury.

What does the Bursey map show?

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