Surname Burroughs - Meaning and Origin

An Introspective Journey: How iGENEA DNA Test Unveiled the Historical Richness of the Surname Burroughs

The iGENEA DNA test's findings have reshaped my understanding of the surname, Burroughs, and my family's identity. The expansive historical revelations and expansive connections discovered through the test have fostered a deeper connection to my heritage, instilling in me the resilience and fortitude that my surname embodies.

P. Burroughs

Burroughs: What does the surname Burroughs mean?

The last name Burroughs is of English origin, and has several possible meanings. It may be derived from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘burh’, meaning a fortified place, burh-ware, meaning inhabitants of a fortified place, or burh-rād, meaning ‘fortified road’. This could then refer to those coming from the boroughs of England, which were areas of densely populated and heavily fortified settlements, often with their own customs, laws, and self-governance.

Alternatively, the surname may also have Flemish origins and derived from the word ‘burgr’, meaning ‘burgher’, which was used to refer to a free citizen of a borough.

In terms of modern usage, the last name Burroughs is especially common in the United States and Canada, possibly as a result of migration from Scotland and England between the 16th and 19th centuries. It is also quite common in Australia, where it is often used as both a first and last name.

As with many surnames, Burroughs conveys much of a family’s past and heritage. Those bearing the surname should be proud, as the last name may have once referred to areas of great strength and fortitude, and individuals of free status and influence.

Burroughs: Where does the name Burroughs come from?

The last name Burroughs is commonly found in the United States. According to one source, it is the 1,487th most popular last name in the United States. It is also a relatively common surname in England, ranking 871st on the list of most common surnames there. The Burroughs surname was likely derived from two different last names that had similar spellings: “Boroughs” and “Borough.” The name can also be traced back to places such as Yorkshire, England, and other places in the United Kingdom. Additionally, it is thought that the Burroughs surname may have originated from a few generations of Scandinavian immigrants who had settled in England centuries ago.

In the US, the Burroughs surname is most commonly found in several states across the Southern United States, particularly Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi. There are also large concentrations of the Burroughs surname in other states, such as Ohio, Texas, California, and New York. Additionally, the last name is found throughout the world in countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Overall, the Burroughs surname is fairly common in the United States and throughout the world. It is most concentrated in Southern states in the US, but is also found in various other countries.

Variations of the surname Burroughs

The surname Burroughs has various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Barrows, Burrows, Borroughs, Barrus, Burras, Burress, Burgh, Burrachs, and Burstakes.

The origin of the Burroughs name is believed to be from the Old English words 'burg' and 'raed', which means fortified house and counsel respectively.

The variant Barrows can be traced to a toponymic locational origin, derived from places such as Boroughs in Notts and Somerset in Britain. This is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'burh', which means fort.

The variant Burrows also has a locational origin, derived from places such as Borrow in Leicestershire, Borough in Lancashire, and several others. This name is most commonly found in Ireland and Great Britain.

Borroughs is another variant and is a shortened form of Burroughs. This variant is found in the US mainly and could have derived from when Burroughs was dropped or misspelled upon entry into the US.

The variant Barrus is derived from the Old French word 'bur', which means a worn-out farm. This is found predominantly in Ireland.

Burras is most common in Scotland, and can be traced to the Old Scottish Gaelic word 'buras', which means someone who lives in a fort.

The variant Burress is derived from the Old French word 'bourg', which means castle or walled town. It is predominantly found in Wales.

Burgh is derived from the Old English word 'burh', which means fort. It is most commonly found in Scotland.

Burrachs is a Germanized form of Burghs or Burrows and is found in countries such as the US and Canada.

The last variant, Burstakes, is most commonly found in Wales, and is a patronymic surname derived from the given name Burgh.

Famous people with the name Burroughs

• William S. Burroughs: an American author and visual artist, best known for his experimental novel, Naked Lunch which gained fame for its frank expressions of difficult social issues, such as drug addiction.
• Samuel Burroughs: a statistician and demographer best known for creating the concept of the ecological fallacy.
• Marston Clark Burroughs: a business executive, philanthropist, and Republican politician who served as a Congressman from Minnesota from 1947 to 1949.
• Augusten Burroughs: an American writer whose bestselling memoirs describe his unconventional childhood.
• Zane Grey: an American author best known for writing westerns, many of which feature the Burroughs family.
• Thomas E. Burroughs: a famed classical and theater musician, specializing in trumpet and percussion.
• Burroughs Harmon: an American screenwriter and actor, most famous for his role in the television series Cheers.
• Thomas Burroughs: a British Member of Parliament for Wakefield from 1924 to 1929.
• Edith Nourse Rogers (nee Burroughs): a former U.S. Congresswoman who served for nearly three decades as the first woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress.
• Merritt Burroughs: a power broker in Montana politics for two decades, and one of the most influential figures in the Republican Party in that state.

Other surnames

Burrough