Explore the Family Name Burgess
The meaning of Burgess
1. English: status name from Middle English burge(i)s, burgis, borgeis ‘inhabitant of a borough’ (strictly one possessing full municipal rights), ‘freeman of a borough’. Burgesses generally had tenure of land or buildings from a landlord by burgage. In medieval England burgage involved the payment of a fixed money rent (as opposed to payment in kind); in Scotland it involved payment in service, guarding the town. The -eis ending is from Latin -ensis (modern English -ese as in Portuguese). Compare Burger. 2. Americanized form of French Bourgeois. History: Thomas Burgess came from England to MA c.1630 and eventually settled in Sandwich, MA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Burgess in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Burgess saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 407th in 2000, it fell to 444th position in 2010, marking a 9.09% drop. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Burgess surname increased from 71,604 to 73,931 during this decade, indicating a growth rate of 3.25%. The proportion of people named Burgess per 100,000 decreased by 5.58%, settling at 25.06 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #407 | #444 | -9.09% |
| Count | 71,604 | 73,931 | 3.25% |
| Proportion per 100k | 26.54 | 25.06 | -5.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Burgess
Discussing the ethnicity associated with the Burgess surname, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were shifts observed across various ethnic identities between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 77.77% to 75.35%. However, other ethnic identities such as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black experienced increases, moving from 0.56% to 0.63% and 17.43% to 18.67%, respectively. Those identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant increase, jumping from 1.48% to 2.17%. The portion of people identifying with two or more races also rose from 1.75% to 2.21%. There was a minor decrease for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, dropping from 1.02% to 0.95%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.77% | 75.35% | -3.11% |
| Black | 17.43% | 18.67% | 7.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.75% | 2.21% | 26.29% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.17% | 46.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.02% | 0.95% | -6.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.56% | 0.63% | 12.5% |
Burgess 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 Burgess is British & Irish, which comprises 55.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Eastern European (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.6% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Eastern European | 3.5% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Burgess
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 Burgess have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
What Burgess 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 Burgess is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L477 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Parker, West, Powell, Harrison, Webb, Turner, Martin, Brown, Andrews, Davis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Burgess surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Burgess 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.
"Burgess" Surname 43.5%
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.
"Burgess" Surname 26.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Burgess" Surname 24.3%
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.
"Burgess" Surname 19.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Burgess?
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 Burgess are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition