The Burney surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,126 people carried this name — #3,888 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,400 people counted. That is up 5% from 8,653 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Burney surname

A surname from Anglo-Norman.

Variant of Berney.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Burney» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Berney’.

An early record he cites: Henry de Berney, Norfolk, 1268 — History of Norfolk (Blomefield and Parkin).

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 96 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 35 people named Burney.

1 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 6 départements, most often Haute-Saône.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 1
Haute-Saône 15
Doubs 14
Paris 2
Côte-d’Or 1
Isère 1
Loire-Atlantique 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

23 families named Burney, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 124 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 7
North Carolina 7
South Carolina 4
Maine 2
New York 2
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 232 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Burney in American newspapers,
1902–1914.

Newspaper page from The Camden Chronicle carrying the name Burney
The Camden Chronicle 1902-04-04
Newspaper page from Iowa County Democrat carrying the name Burney
Iowa County Democrat 1914-09-24
Newspaper page from The Laramie Republican carrying the name Burney
The Laramie Republican 1905-01-24

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 55,403 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Burney in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

11,638 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Burney. The most, 2,862, date from the 1890s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 4,236
New South Wales 2,752
South Australia 1,974
Western Australia 1,252
Queensland 962
Tasmania 432
ACT (Canberra) 15
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Burney.

Who carried it

People named Burney,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Charles Burney
    Charles Burney 1726–1814 · writer
  • James Burney
    James Burney 1750–1821 · writer
  • James Burney
    James Burney 1750–1821 · writer
  • Frances Burney
    Frances Burney 1752–1840 · writer
  • Frances Burney
    Frances Burney 1752–1840 · writer
  • Catherine Elizabeth Jones d. 1883

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Burney,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States703 records

703 records of the Burney name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 291
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 141
  • Other U.S. records 271
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Niles Burney

    Born 1945; from Seattle, Washington. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record David Burney

    Born 1924 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; metal worker from Queens County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1993, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henrietta Burney

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Westerly from Liverpool, aged 27; nurse. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 703 records for Burney in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia168 records

168 records of the Burney name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 86
  • Tasmanian Names Index 35
  • Other Australian records 47
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sarah Jane Burney

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1854. Married 1854 in Westbury, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Michael Burney

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Clyde, arriving 1838; ticket of leave 1842.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Burney

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Southampton, aged 29; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 168 records for Burney in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada43 records

43 records of the Burney name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 33
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Other Canadian records 7
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record John W. Burney

    Killed in 1901 at the Drummond Mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lateef Hasan Burney

    Buried in 1993 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 79.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Hugh Burney

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 43 records for Burney in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the Burney name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 15
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 3
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Marie Ann Burney

    Died 1972, aged 33; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Burney

    Died 1916, aged 56; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Burney

    Died 1899; buried at Kaiapoi Public Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Burney in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France15 records

15 records of the Burney name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bernard Gaston Henri Burney

    Born 1933 in Besançon; died 1993 in Besançon (Doubs).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeanne Marcelle Burney

    Born 1894 in Beaune; died 1986 in Beaune (Côte-d'Or).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jules Simeon Burney

    Born 1905 in Saint-Juan; died 1971 in Chalezeule (Doubs).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Burney in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Burney name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record D. J. Burney

    Middlesex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record D. Burney

    Sapper, Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Burney

    Corporal, Hertfordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Burney in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Burney name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register David Hill Burney

    In the population register of Vlissingen; born 1866 in Arbroth, England.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Vlissingen (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Burney.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Burney is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Burney volume
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