How Many People Are Named Burley?
An estimated 754 people in the United States have the first name Burley. It is predominantly male (98.3%). The average bearer is 69 years old, and Burley peaked in popularity in 1921 with 64 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Burley as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Burley paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 69, Burley is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1967.
Estimated Living Americans
754
About 1 in 454,581 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
98.3% confidence
Average Age
69
years old
Peak Year
1921
64 births
Total Registered
2,350
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Burley
Burley is predominantly male (98.3%), though 40 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Burley as a male name
Ranked #9,727 in 2020
7 male births in 2020
Peak: 1921 (58 births)
Burley as a female name
Ranked #4,440 in 1940
5 female births in 1940
Peak: 1925 (8 births)
Burley in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 686 people with the first name Burley, which placed it at #16,440 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Burley was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 686 people with this name in that snapshot, 95.8% were male and 4.2% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 98.3% of the time.
Census Count
686
people with this name
Census Rank
#16,440
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.23
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Burley was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (74.60%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (18.87%) and Two or More Races (3.34%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Burley in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Burley.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 74.60% | 514 |
| Black | 18.87% | 130 |
| Two or More Races | 3.34% | 23 |
| Hispanic | 1.89% | 13 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.87% | 6 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 3 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Burley: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Burley span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 467 babies were registered. Burley has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Burley by Decade
How has Burley tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Burley by State
Birth registrations for Burley span all 10 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina. The lowest are in Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee. On average, about 40 Burleys were registered per state.
Burley + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Burley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Burley
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
Burley: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Burley?
We estimate approximately 754 people named Burley are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 454,581 Americans share this first name.
Is Burley a common name?
Burley is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 88.1% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 2,350 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Burley most popular?
Burley reached peak popularity in 1921, when 64 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Burley is approximately 69 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Burley in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 686 people with the first name Burley. That placed it at #16,440 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.23 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Burley was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Burley?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Burley was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 95.8% male and 4.2% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Burley?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Burley was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (74.60%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (18.87%) and Two or More Races (3.34%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Burley a male name?
Burley is predominantly male. 98.3% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Burley have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Burley peaked in 1921, and the average living bearer is about 69 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Burley Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Burley Smith, Burley Johnson, Burley Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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