The Burrows surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 17,355 people carried this name — #2,085 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,000 people counted. That is up 2% from 16,972 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Burrows surname

An English topographical surname, a variant of Burroughs.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Burrows» (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: ‘at the borough’.

An early record he cites: John atte Boroghe, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Burrough, Burroughs, Burrow, Burrowes and Burrows.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 150 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 19 births for the Burrows name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 4 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Down.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 10
Munster 5
Connacht 2
Leinster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

26 people named Burrows live in Switzerland.

They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.

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

Where they live today

Vaud 10
Zurich 6
Aargau 4
Ticino 3
Valais 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 23 people named Burrows.

Most of them — 20 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 3 départements, most often Landes.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 20
Landes 1
Pas-de-Calais 1
Somme 1

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

In the Nordic population registers

31 people named Burrows is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 31

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Burrows was found among the farmers of 7 counties.

It was most frequent in Gloucestershire: 30 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 333. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Gloucestershire 30
Nottinghamshire 24
Suffolk 18
Somerset 12
Cornwall 10
Devon 9
Lincolnshire 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Burrows was recorded 28 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 872nd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 23. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

233 families named Burrows, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,415 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 21 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

New York 31
Maryland 30
Connecticut 29
North Carolina 27
Virginia 24
Pennsylvania 21
Massachusetts 19
New Hampshire 14
South Carolina 13
Vermont 12
Rhode Island 8
Maine 5

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

Burrows in American newspapers,
1873–1892.

Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Burrows
The Portland Daily Press 1892-04-06
Newspaper page from Independent Statesman carrying the name Burrows
Independent Statesman 1873-07-10
Newspaper page from Independent Statesman carrying the name Burrows
Independent Statesman 1874-06-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 15,050 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Burrows in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

71,650 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Burrows. The most, 12,598, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 22,368
Queensland 17,323
Victoria 13,681
Tasmania 6,519
South Australia 5,663
Western Australia 5,557
ACT (Canberra) 331
Northern Territory 107

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

Who carried it

People named Burrows,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Henry William Burrows d. 1939 · architect
  • Henry William Burrows d. 1939 · architect
  • R. Burrows d. 1855 · painter
  • Alice Burrows d. 1819 · artist
  • Mary Burrows d. 1940
  • Violet Elizabeth Gertrude Burrows d. 1972

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Burrows,
in the records of 8 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 States2,513 records

2,513 records of the Burrows name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 606
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 542
  • Other U.S. records 1,365
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Stanley L. Burrows

    Born 1914 in West Virginia. Enlisted 1943 at Clarksburg; auto mechanic. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at West Virginia National Cemetery, West Virginia.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Chicago from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; laborer. From London, England; bound for Philadelphia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Marvin Eugene Burrows

    Born 1932; from Ft Lauderdale, Florida. U.S. Army, armor crewman; died of wounds 1968 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,513 records for Burrows in the United States.

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

Australia2,508 records

2,508 records of the Burrows name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,129
  • Tasmanian Names Index 653
  • Other Australian records 726
  1. 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 John Burrows

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Sea Horse in 1843. Native of Bedford, Bedfordshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1847 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 25.

    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 Mary Burrows

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Hector, sailing from Woolwich in 1835. Native of Midlothian. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ernest T. Burrows

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Chimborazo, as an infant; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,508 records for Burrows 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) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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).

Canada326 records

326 records of the Burrows name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 195
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 35
  • Other Canadian records 96
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Burrows

    Came to Ontario in 1880 aboard the Sarmatian, landing at Halifax, bound for Stonebridge, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record John Burrows

    Killed in 1897 at the Springhill No. 3 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Charles William Burrows

    Buried in 1967 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 88.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 326 records for Burrows 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 Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · 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. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom114 records

114 records of the Burrows name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 91
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 22
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Burrows

    Buried in 1820 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 72.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert Burrows

    Will proved in 1941; of Erdington, Birmingham.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Burrows

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 114 records for Burrows 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. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand76 records

76 records of the Burrows name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 68
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 5
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jack Anderson Burrows

    Died 1998, aged 74; buried at Avonhead Memorial Cemetery, 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 Robert William Daniel Burrows

    Died 1989, aged 59; buried at Picton 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 Nancy Margaret Burrows

    Died 1966; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 76 records for Burrows in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Marlborough 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).

Netherlands13 records

13 records of the Burrows name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 7
  • Dutch population registers 6
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Burrows

    Died 1860 in Den Helder, aged 28.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Thomas Wilson Burrows

    Died 1930 in Utrecht, aged 67.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 13 records for Burrows in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France6 records

6 records of the Burrows 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 Catherine Burrows

    Born 1909 in the United States; died 1995 in Saint-Cloud (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Richard Geroge Jean Burrows

    Born 1920 in Beauval (Somme); died 1991 in Berck (Pas-de-Calais).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 6 records for Burrows 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).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Burrows name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Walter Burrows

    Died 1971 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Burrows.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Burrows 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.

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