Origins of the Burns surname

About the Burnses

We have a total of 297563 records for people with the last name Burns.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1700s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Burnses.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Burns family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1822North West 826Isle of Man 27Yorkshire 1463East Midlands 186West Midlands 738East 318London 5305South East 527South West 414South Wales 139Mid Wales 12West Wales 7North Wales 53Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Burnses lived in london

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    130,000 Burns Travel & migration records
    160,000 Burnses found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Burns

    How common is your surname?

    207th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Burns surname. The oldest one dates back to 1670.

    Who were Burnses most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Burnses.

    What are the most common Burns first names?

    John

    James

    Mary

    Margaret

    Our tell us the names of Burns family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Burnses

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Common female occupations for Burnses in 1921

    Dressmaker

    573

    Domestic Servant

    568

    Charwoman

    468

    Housekeeper

    430

    Cotton Weaver

    405

    Common male occupations for Burnses in 1921

    Coal Miner

    1,307

    General Labourer

    1,173

    Tailor

    521

    Dock Labourer

    520

    Carter

    400

    We found over 240,000 family trees with the Burns surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Burnses.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Burns family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname