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Burr Family History

Burr Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English burre ‘bur’ (a seed-case or flower-head with clinging prickles) used by Shakespeare to denote someone who sticks like a bur a person difficult to ‘shake off’ a sense which may well be older.

German: topographic name from Burr(e) ‘mound hill’ or in the south a variant of Burrer.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Burr family from?

You can see how Burr families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Burr family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Burr families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 536 Burr families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Burr's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Burr families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Burr surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Burr ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Burr. 9% of Burr men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Burr women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Burr were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Burr | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Farm Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Burr family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 166,000 census records available for the last name Burr. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Burr census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Burr

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Burr. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Burr immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 26,000 military records available for the last name Burr. For the veterans among your Burr ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Burr military records

You've only scratched the surface of Burr family history

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What is the average Burr lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Burr life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Burr in 1945 was 43, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Burr

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Burr ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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