Explore the Family Name Burney
The meaning of Burney
1. English (northern, of Norman origin): habitational name from Bernay in Eure, France, named with a Gaulish personal name Brenno + the locative suffix -acum. 2. Irish (Antrim) and Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Biorna ‘son of Biorna’, a Gaelic form of the Old Norse personal name Bjarni (from björn ‘bear cub, warrior’). 3. English: variant of Barney.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Burney in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Burney has witnessed slight fluctuations in its popularity over the years. In 2000, it ranked 3762 in popularity with 8653 recorded instances, which represented a proportion of 3.21 per 100k people. A decade later, in 2010, the rank dipped to 3888, which represented a decline of 3.35%. However, the count of people with this surname increased by 5.47%, with the tally reaching 9126. This increase in numbers saw a minor decrease in the proportion per 100k people, bringing it down to 3.09, marking a 3.74% decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,762 | #3,888 | -3.35% |
| Count | 8,653 | 9,126 | 5.47% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.21 | 3.09 | -3.74% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Burney
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Burney also saw changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the largest representations were White (49.14%) and Black (45.59%), followed by those identifying as Two or More Races (2.03%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.48%), Hispanic (1.16%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.60%). By 2010, the White representation had fallen slightly to 46.44%, while the Black representation remained almost steady at 45.29%. The most significant change was seen in the Hispanic category, which nearly doubled to 2.27%, and the Asian/Pacific Islander grouping increased to 2.36%. The group identifying as Two or More races also saw an increase to 3.06%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native representation marginally decreased to 0.59%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 49.14% | 46.44% | -5.49% |
| Black | 45.59% | 45.29% | -0.66% |
| Two or More Races | 2.03% | 3.06% | 50.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.48% | 2.36% | 59.46% |
| Hispanic | 1.16% | 2.27% | 95.69% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.6% | 0.59% | -1.67% |
Burney 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 Burney is British & Irish, which comprises 50.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (13.8%) and Nigerian (8.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Spanish & Portuguese, Angolan & Congolese, Scandinavian, and Italian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.0% |
| French & German | 13.8% |
| Nigerian | 8.4% |
| Other | 27.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Burney
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 Burney have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 68.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 68.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 68.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 68.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 68.20% |
What Burney 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 Burney is I-Y4752, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Y4752 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and E-P252, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mcknight, Mccullough, Malone, Ferguson, Mcculloch, Agnew, Mcwhorter, Guffey, Edgar, Carson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Burney surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your 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 Burney 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.
"Burney" Surname 39.5%
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.
"Burney" Surname 36.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Burney" Surname 30.0%
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.
"Burney" Surname 24.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Burney?
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 Burney are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition