Explore the Family Name Burston

The meaning of Burston

1. English: habitational name from any of various places called Burston, in Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, and Staffordshire, which have different origins. The Buckinghamshire placename is from an Old English personal name Briddel + Old English thorn ‘thorn tree’; the place in Norfolk is named with Old English byrst ‘rough ground, landslip’ + tūn ‘farmstead’; the Staffordshire placename has the same second element, the first being the Old English personal name Burgwine or Burgwulf. 2. English: from the Middle English personal name Burstan, Burston (Old English Burgstān, from burg ‘fortress’ + stān ‘stone’). 3. Americanized form of Jewish Burstein (see Bernstein).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Burston in the United States?

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Burston has been on an upward trend in recent years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 33,020th most popular surname, whereas in 2010, it had risen to the 31,184th position, indicating a positive change of 5.56%. The number of individuals bearing this surname also increased from 654 in 2000 to 744 in 2010, marking an increase of 13.76%. The proportion per 100,000 people of the surname Burston slightly increased by 4.17%, from 0.24 to 0.25 over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#33,020#31,1845.56%
Count65474413.76%
Proportion per 100k0.240.254.17%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Burston

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity of those with the surname Burston. In 2000 and 2010, there were no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races saw a significant increase from 0.92% to 1.61%, which is a 75% change. The proportion of White individuals within the Burston surname decreased slightly from 17.58% to 16.80%, a 4.44% decrease. Hispanic individuals saw a substantial increase in representation, moving from 1.53% to 2.55%, a 66.67% change. Black individuals remained the majority ethnicity for this surname, despite a slight decrease from 79.51% to 78.63%, a 1.11% decline over the ten-year period.

20002010Change
Black79.51%78.63%-1.11%
White17.58%16.8%-4.44%
Hispanic1.53%2.55%66.67%
Two or More Races0.92%1.61%75%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%