Explore the Family Name Burnley
The meaning of Burnley
English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): habitational name from Burnley in Lancashire, so named with the Old English river name Brun (from brūn ‘brown’ or burna ‘stream’) + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Burnley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Burnley's popularity has seen a slight dip between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 14,634th most popular surname in the U.S., while by 2010, it had slipped slightly to a rank of 14,913. Despite this minor drop in rank, the number of people with this surname actually increased from 1,864 in 2000 to 1,985 in 2010, marking a growth rate of 6.49%. However, the proportion per 100k people of the surname decreased by 2.9%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,634 | #14,913 | -1.91% |
| Count | 1,864 | 1,985 | 6.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.69 | 0.67 | -2.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Burnley
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Burnley surname. The data shows that the percentage of Burnleys identifying as two or more races nearly doubled from 2.68% in 2000 to 5.09% in 2010. The proportion identifying as Hispanic also saw a significant increase, almost doubling from 0.97% to 1.86%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw smaller increases. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black increased slightly from 37.88% to 39.19%, but the percentage of Burnleys identifying as White decreased from 57.46% to 52.54%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 57.46% | 52.54% | -8.56% |
| Black | 37.88% | 39.19% | 3.46% |
| Two or More Races | 2.68% | 5.09% | 89.93% |
| Hispanic | 0.97% | 1.86% | 91.75% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.76% | 58.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.55% | 1.85% |