Explore the Family Name Burger
The meaning of Burger
1. German (also Bürger), Dutch, and English: status name for a freeman of a borough, especially one who was a member of its governing council. The term is a derivative of Middle High German burc, Middle Dutch burch, Middle English burg ‘(fortified) town’. The surname of German origin is also found in some other parts of Europe, e.g. in France (Alsace and Lorraine), Poland, Czechia, Slovenia, and Croatia (see also 3 below). It also occurs as a Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname, but the reasons for its adoption are uncertain. The English name is found occasionally as a surname from the 13th century onward, but is not recorded as a vocabulary word until the 16th century. The usual English term was the Old French word burgeis ‘burgess’ (see Burgess). This surname is also established in South Africa. Compare Buerger. 2. German: habitational name for someone from any of the many places called Burg. 3. Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian Burgar, a status name of the same the same (Middle High) German origin as 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Burger in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Burger" has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, "Burger" ranked as the 1668th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had fallen to the 1840th spot, reflecting a 10.31% change in ranking. The count of individuals bearing this surname also slightly declined by 0.89%, from 19,654 in 2000 to 19,480 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of people with the "Burger" surname per 100,000 decreased by 9.47% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,668 | #1,840 | -10.31% |
| Count | 19,654 | 19,480 | -0.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.29 | 6.6 | -9.47% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Burger
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Burger" has shown some shifts between 2000 and 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (94.44% in 2000 and 93.19% in 2010), there was a slight decrease of 1.32% in this group. On the other hand, there were increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.42% to 0.59%), with two or more races (from 1.11% to 1.36%), Hispanic (from 1.51% to 2.15%), Black (from 2.04% to 2.12%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.48% to 0.61%). These changes reflect the diverse ethnic identities that are associated with the "Burger" surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.44% | 93.19% | -1.32% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.15% | 42.38% |
| Black | 2.04% | 2.12% | 3.92% |
| Two or More Races | 1.11% | 1.36% | 22.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.61% | 27.08% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.59% | 40.48% |
Burger ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Burger is French & German, which comprises 38.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (36.9%) and Eastern European (6.3%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 38.5% |
| British & Irish | 36.9% |
| Eastern European | 6.3% |
| Other | 18.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Burger
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Burger have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
What Burger haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Burger is R-Z30, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z30 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and J-L283, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Becker, Meyer, Schmidt, Schneider, Hoffman, Wagner, Schaefer, Weber, Gross, Miller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Burger surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Burger have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Burger" Surname 43.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Burger" Surname 26.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Burger" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Burger" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Burger?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Burger are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition