Explore the Family Name Burt

The meaning of Burt

1. English (southern): variant of Bird, Bright, or Burd. 2. German: Middle High German burt ‘that which is due or proper’, therefore a nickname for someone who has fulfilled his obligations properly. 3. Jewish (from Poland and Ukraine): variant of Burd. History: Richard Burt came from England to Taunton, MA, c.1634.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Burt saw a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 1256 in terms of widespread use, but by 2010 it had slipped to 1331—a drop of 5.97%. However, the actual count of people bearing the name increased slightly during this time, from 25,649 in 2000 to 26,475 in 2010, a rise of 3.22%. The proportion per 100,000 also decreased from 9.51 to 8.98, showing a decline of 5.57%.

20002010Change
Rank#1,256#1,331-5.97%
Count25,64926,4753.22%
Proportion per 100k9.518.98-5.57%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Burt

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides an insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Burt. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname were White (80.79%), followed by Black (15.34%). By 2010, there was a slight decrease in the number of White individuals to 79.34% and a marginal increase in the number of Black individuals to 15.49%. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander significantly rose by 72.22%, while the Hispanic population increased by 37.58%. Those identifying with two or more races witnessed a growth rate of 34.31%. Meanwhile, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Natives showed a slight decline, falling from 0.50% in 2000 to 0.46% in 2010.

20002010Change
White80.79%79.34%-1.79%
Black15.34%15.49%0.98%
Hispanic1.65%2.27%37.58%
Two or More Races1.37%1.84%34.31%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.36%0.62%72.22%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.5%0.46%-8%

Burt 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 Burt 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 (22.1%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Nigerian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish55.6%
French & German22.1%
Scandinavian4.3%
Other18.0%
Burt

Possible origins of the surname Burt

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 Burt have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom87.20%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom87.20%
West Midlands, United Kingdom86.90%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom86.70%
Merseyside, United Kingdom86.60%

What Burt 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 Burt is J-Z631, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-Z631 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-M167, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hammond, Field, Cox, Baker, Richards, Lowe, Hall, Fox, White, Smith.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Burt surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

burtPaternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304

Your 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Burt 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

Burt

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Burt" Surname 45.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Burt

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Burt" Surname 26.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Burt

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Burt" Surname 20.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Burt

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Burt" Surname 19.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Burt?

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 Burt are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%