History of your Surname
Get access to Burney family records.Start a free trial

Burney Family History

Burney Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin) and Irish: habitational name from Bernay in Eure, France, named with a Gaulish personal name Brenno + the locative suffix -acum. Irish: 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 1.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Turney, Barney, Bursey, Burnley, Gurney, Birney, Burley, Cerney

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

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 the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 67 Burney families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Burney's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Burney families in 1911.
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.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Burney ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Burney. 30% of Burney men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Burney women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Burney were Mechanic and Dressmaker.

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 1921

  • Farmer
    30%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Machinist
    8%
  • Mechanic
    8%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Stenographer
    50%
  • Dressmaker
    50%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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.

Discover More

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

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Burney family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial