Meaning and origin
The last name Burgess traces its origin to the Middle English term "burgeis," meaning a freeman or inhabitant of a town. Derived from the Old French word "burgeis," it further stems from the Late Latin term "burgensis," referring to a dweller of a fortress or walled city. The surname Burgess first appeared in England during the medieval period and was typically bestowed upon individuals who held positions of authority or prominence within a borough or urban settlement.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#444
Burgess was the 444th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 73,931 people, about 25 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Where it is found
Countries linked to Burgess.
Surnames like Burgess
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Burgess is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.