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Burgess Family History

Burgess Surname Meaning

English: status name from Middle English burge(i)s burgis borgeis ‘inhabitant of a borough’ (strictly one possessing full municipal rights) ‘freeman of a borough’. Burgesses generally had tenure of land or buildings from a landlord by burgage.

In medieval England, burgage involved the payment of a fixed money rent (as opposed to payment in kind); in Scotland it involved payment in service guarding the town. The -eis ending is from Latin -ensis (modern English -ese as in Portuguese).

Compare Burger. Americanized form of French Bourgeois.

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


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Where is the Burgess family from?

You can see how Burgess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Burgess family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Burgess families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,758 Burgess families living in Lancashire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Burgess's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Burgess families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Burgess 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 Burgess 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 Burgess. 8% of Burgess men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Burgess women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Burgess were Gardener and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Burgess | 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
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Burgess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 677,000 census records available for the last name Burgess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Burgess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Burgess

Passenger Lists

There are 61,000 immigration records available for the last name Burgess. 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 Burgess immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 85,000 military records available for the last name Burgess. For the veterans among your Burgess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Burgess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Burgess family history

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What is the average Burgess lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Burgess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Burgess in 1940 was 72, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Burgess

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Burgess 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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