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Burney Family History

Burney Surname Meaning

English (northern of Norman origin): habitational name from Bernay in Eure, France named with a Gaulish personal name Brenno + the locative suffix -acum.

Irish (Antrim) and Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Biorna ‘son of Biorna’, a Gaelic form of the Old Norse personal name Bjarni (from björn ‘bear cub warrior’).

English: variant of Barney.

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


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Where is the Burney family from?

You can see how Burney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Burney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Burney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 119 Burney families living in London. This was about 22% of all the recorded Burney's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Burney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Burney 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 Burney ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer Heavy Worker and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Burney. 13% of Burney men worked as a Builders Labourer Heavy Worker and 68% of Burney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Burney were Electrical Engineer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Burney | 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

  • Builders Labourer Heavy Worker
    13%
  • Heavy Labourer
    13%
  • Coal Hewer Retired (o A Pensioner)
    13%
  • Electrical Engineer
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Private Means
    10%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Burney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 45,000 census records available for the last name Burney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Burney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Burney

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Burney. 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 Burney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Burney. For the veterans among your Burney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Burney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Burney family history

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What is the average Burney lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Burney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Burney in 1941 was 45, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Burney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Burney 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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