2000
#32,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 658
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Rare Last name
Burchill
A locational surname derived from the Old English words 'burh' and 'hyll', meaning a person from a hill near a fortified town or settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,031 Americans carry the last name Burchill. That puts it at #28,258 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 332,448 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burchill surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Burchill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 332,448
Census rank
#28,258
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
899
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 899 bearers of the surname Burchill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28258th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchill, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burchill
The surname Burchill has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified town or borough, and "hill" referring to a hill or elevated place. This suggests that the name may have originated from individuals who lived in or near a fortified town situated on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burchel" and "Burchill," indicating the surname's presence in England during the Norman conquest. These early spellings also hint at the name's potential Norman-French influence, as many English surnames were adapted or altered during this period.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1273) and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire (1275), where it is spelled as "Burchull" and "Burchill," respectively. These early spellings highlight the surname's evolution over time.
Notably, the surname Burchill is associated with several place names in England, including Burchill Hill in Staffordshire and Burchill Wood in Leicestershire. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Burchill throughout history are:
1. John Burchill (c. 1460 - 1530), an English Member of Parliament for Wilton during the reign of Henry VIII.
2. Richard Burchill (1815 - 1879), a British mathematician and educator who served as the headmaster of the Royal Naval School in London.
3. Julie Burchill (born 1959), a controversial English writer and journalist known for her provocative opinions and commentary.
4. Edward Burchill (1920 - 2005), an Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
5. Garry Burchill (born 1949), an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Parramatta Eels and Western Suburbs Magpies.
While the surname Burchill is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history that spans centuries, reflecting the country's diverse cultural and linguistic influences. The name's evolution from its Old English roots to its various spellings and associations with specific places serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of surnames in tracing the stories and identities of families across generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burchill
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchill, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Burchill bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Burchill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 839
- Two or more races3.2% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burchill
Burchill appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#41,303
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 527
-131 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 8,447 places
2020
#28,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 899
+372 bearers (+70.6%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 13,045 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,856 | 658 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,303 | 527 | 0.18 | -131 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 8,447 places |
| 2020 | #28,258 | 899 | 0.30 | +372 bearers (+70.6%) | Up 13,045 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Burchill surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,303 | #28,258 | 31.6% |
| Count | 527 | 899 | 70.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.30 | 67.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burchill bearers went from 527 to 899 (+70.6% change). The surname moved up 13,045 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,303 to #28,258.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Burchill
FAQ
Burchill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burchill?
Name Census estimates that about 1,031 living Americans carry the surname Burchill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 332,448 residents.
How common is Burchill?
Burchill ranks #28,258 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 899 people with the surname Burchill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,031), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Burchill.
Has Burchill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burchill went from 527 recorded bearers to 899. That is an increase of 372 (+70.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #41,303 to #28,258.
What does the Census say about the background of Burchill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchill, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Burchill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (839 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burchill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Burchill (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Burchill mean?
A locational surname derived from the Old English words 'burh' and 'hyll', meaning a person from a hill near a fortified town or settlement. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Burchill (0.30 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Burchill?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Burchill at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.