Burris
A variant of the name Bruce, derived from the Old French name "Brus".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Burris. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Burris today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Burris births was 1922 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Burris. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Burris is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Burris' were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Burris. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1922
14 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1946 SSA rank
#2,947
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Burris: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Burris from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 84 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Burris by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Burris during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Burris' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Burris
The name Burris is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "burr" and "ris," which together mean "dweller by the brushwood." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a thicket or dense shrubland.
Variants of the name, such as "Burres" and "Buress," can be found in historical records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented instances of the name Burris is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a man named John Burris is listed as a taxpayer.
Over the centuries, the name Burris has been associated with various notable individuals. One of the most famous bearers of this name was William Burris (1542-1616), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1598 until his death. He was known for his efforts to reform the Church of England and his support for the translation of the King James Bible.
Another historical figure named Burris was Sir John Burris (1680-1739), a British military officer who fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. He distinguished himself in several battles and was knighted for his valor and leadership on the battlefield.
In the realm of literature, there was Burris Cunningham (1824-1887), an American author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories depicting life in the American South during the 19th century. His works, such as "The Knightly Soldier" and "The Partisan Leader," provide valuable insights into the cultural and social dynamics of that era.
Moving into the 20th century, one notable bearer of the name was Burris Jenkins (1885-1965), an American minister and author who was known for his progressive views on religion and social issues. He wrote numerous books, including "The Indescribable Christ" and "The Life of Jesus," which sought to reinterpret traditional Christian teachings in a modern context.
Finally, a more recent figure named Burris was Richard Burris (1937-2021), an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois from 2009 to 2010. He was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama's resignation and played a pivotal role in passing several important pieces of legislation during his brief tenure.
People
Burris + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Burris as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Burris: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Burris?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Burris going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Burris a common name?
We classify Burris as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 162 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Burris most popular?
The single biggest year for Burris was 1922, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Burris is about 90 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Burris in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Burris a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Burris in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Burris still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Burris in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Burris can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Burris?
Want to know how many people have the name Burris? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.