Explore the Family Name Burns
The meaning of Burns
1. Scottish (central Scotland and northern England): habitational name from any of various places called formerly Burnis, Burnes, or Burnhouse (named with burn- ‘stream’), especially those in Kincardineshire, Renfrewshire, Dunbartonshire, and possibly Argyll. 2. English and Scottish: variant either of Burn, with post-medieval excrescent -s, or of Barnes. 3. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Broin (see Byrne), with excrescent -s. 4. American shortened and altered form of Jewish Bernstein.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Burns in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Burns has seen a slight shift in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 141st most popular surname, while by 2010, it had dropped slightly to the 155th position, marking a decline of nearly 10%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people bearing the surname Burns increased from 162,153 in 2000 to 165,925 in 2010, indicating a growth of 2.33%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased from 60.11 to 56.25 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #141 | #155 | -9.93% |
| Count | 162,153 | 165,925 | 2.33% |
| Proportion per 100k | 60.11 | 56.25 | -6.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Burns
When it comes to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows an interesting evolution for the surname Burns. In terms of percentages, individuals identifying as White made up the majority of those with the surname Burns in both 2000 and 2010, although there was a slight decrease from 82.18% to 80.26%. Meanwhile, the representation of Hispanics within this surname rose by a significant 55.97%, from 1.59% to 2.48%. There were also increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with the largest increase being seen among Asian/Pacific Islanders at 31.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.18% | 80.26% | -2.34% |
| Black | 13.63% | 14.06% | 3.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 2.48% | 55.97% |
| Two or More Races | 1.45% | 1.83% | 26.21% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.71% | 0.78% | 9.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.59% | 31.11% |
Burns 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 Burns is British & Irish, which comprises 55.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Eastern European (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.0% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Eastern European | 5.2% |
| Other | 19.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Burns
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 Burns have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
What Burns 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 Burns is R-Z255, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z255 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-M222, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Kelley, Mack, Owens, Murray, Murphy, Kelly, Bradley, Clarke, Wilson, Mackey.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Burns 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 Burns 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.
"Burns" Surname 44.0%
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.
"Burns" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Burns" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Burns" Surname 19.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Burns?
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 Burns are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition