Burn Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Burn Name Meaning: A topographic derivation from the old Endlish 'Burna,Burne',a 'spring' or 'stream',indicated to someone who lived beside a 'stream'.

The name is of Anglo-Saxon origin & was gradually replaced by the old English 'broc' meaning 'brook'.

Discover how your Burn ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

England

Bedfordshire 0
Buckinghamshire 5
Berkshire 10
Cambridgeshire 34
Channel Islands 2
Cheshire 75
Cornwall 37
Cumberland 59
Derbyshire 19
Devon 184
Dorset 22
Durham 673
Essex 110
Gloucestershire 38
Hampshire 78
Herefordshire 8
Hertfordshire 31
Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) 9
Isle of Man 10
Kent 100
Lancashire 403
Leicestershire 25
Lincolnshire 41
London 621
Middlesex 68
Northumberland 649
Norfolk 57
Northamptonshire 11
Nottinghamshire 25
Oxfordshire 2
Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) 9
Shropshire 22
Suffolk 35
Somerset 50
Surrey 65
Sussex 52
Staffordshire 89
Warwickshire 74
Westmorland 22
Wiltshire 10
Worcestershire 31
Yorkshire 462

Wales

Anglesey 0
Brecknockshire 2
Cardiganshire 1
Carnarvonshire 0
Carmarthenshire 0
Denbighshire 3
Flintshire 0
Glamorgan 75
Merionethshire 0
Montgomeryshire 1
Monmouthshire 7
Pembrokeshire 9
Radnorshire 0

Burn Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Burn family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 620
General Labourer 64
Coal Miner 60
Living On Own Means 51
Domestic Servant 45
Labourer 42
Dress Maker 41
Agricultural Labourer 41
General Servant 35
General Servant Domestic 34
Living On Her Own Means 27
Farmer 21
Joiner 20
Tailoress 20
Clerk 19
Tailor 18
Laundress 16
Farm Servant 15
Farm Labourer 15
Gardener 14
House Keeper 14
General Domestic Servant 13
Carman 13
Dock Labourer 12
Cook Domestic Servant 11

Most Frequent Forenames for Burn

Name Census Frequency
Mary Burn 2,482
John Burn 2,353
William Burn 2,076
Elizabeth Burn 1,496
Thomas Burn 1,429
James Burn 1,154
Jane Burn 1,027
George Burn 963
Robert Burn 910
Margaret Burn 909
Ann Burn 846
Sarah Burn 827
Joseph Burn 667
Henry Burn 592
Charles Burn 445
Annie Burn 406
Isabella Burn 398
Ellen Burn 371
Hannah Burn 357
Edward Burn 336
Eliza Burn 303
Catherine Burn 295
Alice Burn 292
Emma Burn 268
Richard Burn 268

Burn Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Bourne 67% 39,866
2 Burn 100% 32,363
3 Byrne 60% 26,322
4 Brain 40% 24,766
5 Baron 60% 22,589
6 Obrien 33% 17,701
7 Brian 40% 12,455
8 Brien 40% 12,036
9 Brine 40% 6,722
10 Bourn 80% 6,046
11 Breen 40% 5,606
12 Burne 80% 5,511
13 Obrian 33% 3,536
14 Braine 33% 3,530
15 Born 75% 3,243
16 Barn 75% 2,880
17 Barne 60% 2,685
18 Bearne 50% 2,586
19 Bran 50% 2,432
20 Borne 60% 2,130
21 Oborne 50% 2,120
22 Brion 40% 2,087
23 Birnie 50% 1,362
24 Broun 40% 1,240
25 Brane 40% 1,126
26 Eborn 60% 1,104
27 Oborn 60% 1,062
28 Braun 40% 1,044
29 Boran 60% 1,005
30 Beran 60% 970
31 Brun 50% 941
32 Bruin 60% 842
33 Auburn 67% 821
34 Boorn 60% 775
35 Brean 40% 734
36 Eburne 67% 709
37 Bearon 50% 610
38 Obern 60% 553
39 Boorne 50% 543
40 Bearn 60% 508
41 Burnie 67% 495
42 Baren 60% 478
43 Broune 33% 376
44 Bern 75% 365
45 Bren 50% 363
46 Broon 40% 336
47 Eaborn 50% 334
48 Beirne 50% 318
49 Breene 33% 309
50 Brin 50% 306
51 Obrine 33% 299
52 Bruen 60% 290
53 Berne 60% 248
54 Buron 80% 236
55 Baurne 67% 224
56 Brone 40% 220
57 Eaborne 43% 214
58 Bron 50% 202
59 Aburn 80% 196
60 Obrion 33% 195
61 Baran 60% 187
62 Barin 60% 180
63 Brune 40% 167
64 Baaran 50% 153
65 Aborn 60% 149
66 Broan 40% 140
67 Eburn 80% 138
68 Broone 33% 135
69 Bernie 50% 134
70 Obrain 33% 132
71 Beron 60% 130
72 Birne 60% 130
73 Biron 60% 129
74 Bruun 60% 126
75 Baurn 80% 122
76 Biren 60% 117
77 Boarne 50% 117
78 Brein 40% 116
79 Burno 80% 116
80 Boron 60% 115
81 Bruno 40% 111
82 Bearan 50% 104

Did you know?

The surname Burn is the 2nd most popular variant of Bourne.

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