2000
#1,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.54
Uncommon Last name
Burrell
An English occupational surname referring to a butler or servant in charge of the wine cellar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,892 Americans carry the last name Burrell. That puts it at #1,482 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,746 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burrell 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 Burrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
27K
1 in 12,746
Census rank
#1,482
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,451 bearers of the surname Burrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1482nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burrell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.5%. The next largest groups are White (44.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burrell
The surname Burrell has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "burh", meaning a fortified town or manor house, and the Old French word "rie", meaning a stream or small river. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a fortified dwelling by a stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where a William de Burrell from Berwickshire swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, with references to individuals named Burrell holding lands in the Borders region.
In the 15th century, the Burrells were prominent landowners in the Scottish Borders, with their family seat at Burrell's Close in Hawick. Sir Walter Burrell (c. 1450-1510) was a notable figure, serving as a diplomat and envoy to England during the reigns of James IV and James V.
The name Burrell has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Borrell, Burrell, Burrill, and Burwell. Some variations may have been influenced by place names, such as Burwell in Cambridgeshire, England.
Notable individuals with the surname Burrell include:
1. Sir William Burrell (1861-1958), a Scottish shipping magnate and art collector whose collection forms the basis of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow.
2. John Burrell (c. 1580-1627), an English Jesuit priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Charles I.
3. David Burrell (1785-1868), a Scottish painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. Sir Redvers Buller (1839-1908), a British Army officer who served in the Boer War and was famously relieved of his command during the Siege of Ladysmith.
5. Dame Edith Burrell (1907-1979), a British artist and sculptor known for her portraits and public commissions.
The Burrell name has a rich history in the Scottish Borders region, with connections to land ownership, military service, and artistic pursuits. Its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, reflecting the influence of both English and French language on the development of Scottish surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Burrell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.5%. The next largest groups are White (44.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Burrell 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 Burrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American45.5% · 10,669
- White44.1% · 10,346
- Two or more races5.6% · 1,323
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 887
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 121
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 105
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burrell
Burrell 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
#1,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,504
+1,456 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 8.31
Rank movement Down 44 places
2020
#1,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,451
-1,053 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 7.85
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,414 | 23,048 | 8.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,458 | 24,504 | 8.31 | +1,456 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 44 places |
| 2020 | #1,482 | 23,451 | 7.85 | -1,053 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 24 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 Burrell 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 | #1,458 | #1,482 | -1.6% |
| Count | 24,504 | 23,451 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 8.31 | 7.85 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burrell bearers went from 24,504 to 23,451 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,458 to #1,482.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Burrell
FAQ
Burrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burrell?
Name Census estimates that about 26,892 living Americans carry the surname Burrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,746 residents.
How common is Burrell?
Burrell ranks #1,482 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,451 people with the surname Burrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,892), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Burrell.
Has Burrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burrell went from 24,504 recorded bearers to 23,451. That is a decrease of 1,053 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,458 to #1,482.
What does the Census say about the background of Burrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burrell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.5%. The next largest groups are White (44.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Burrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.5% (10,669 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (45.5%), White (44.1%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Burrell (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 Burrell mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a butler or servant in charge of the wine cellar. 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 Burrell (7.85 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 share the surname Burrell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.