English: of uncertain origin. Reaney explains this as a
nickname for a person who is difficult to shake off, from Middle
English bur(r) ‘bur’ (a seedhead that sticks to
clothing). Burre occurs as a surname or byname as early as
1185, but the vocabulary word is not recorded in OED until the 14th
century. Another possibility is derivation from Old English
bur ‘small dwelling or building’ (modern English
bower), but there are phonological difficulties here
too.German: perhaps a variant spelling of Bur, or a
topographic name from Burr(e) ‘mound’, ‘hill’, or in the south
a variant of Burrer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
707,956
Historical Documents & Family Trees with Burr
The information for this chart came from the U.S. Immigration Collection at Ancestry.co.uk.
You can find out where the majority of the Burr families were living before
they immigrated to the U.S and learn where to focus your search for foreign records.
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