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Burney History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Burney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The name Burney arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Burney family lived in the hundred of North Greenhow, Norfolk where the town of Berney (Barney) was once found. 1 Looking back further, the family were Norman and claimed descent from Calvados, Normandy. "Ralph de Bernai, of Worcester and Hereford, witnessed a charter of Malmsbury Abbey, temp. William I., and was a tenant of William Fitz- Osborne, Earl of Hereford. In 1096, Robert de Bernay witnessed a charter of Stephen, Count of Aumerle, for the monks of Beauvais (Monasticon Anglicanum). The Baronets Berney derive their name from the English locality. " 2

Another source has a slightly different bent on the origin: "The baronet's family are asserted to have been seated at Berney, near Walsingham, co. Norfolk, at the time of the Norman Conquest-a great improbability, although their very early settlement there cannot be questioned. Bernays is of distinct origin, being a recent importation from Germany; it is supposed that the latter family were originally French, and that they derived their designation from the town of Bernay, in the department of the Eure, in Normandy." 3

Early Origins of the Burney family

The surname Burney was first found in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Suffolk where Ralph de Bernai was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. 4 Many people claim descent from the Domesday Book, but truthfully few people do. This entry is particularly interesting as it is a record of a forename and surname, while in most cases only a surname is recorded.

Later Norfolk records show: Henry de Berney, 1268; Adam de Berney, 15 Edward I; Richard de Berney, 48 Edward III; Sir Thomas de Berney, of Reedham, 1389; and Roger Burney, vicar of Holm-by-the-Sea, 1451. 5

Sir Robert Berney (before 1365-1415) of Great Witchingham, Norfolk was Sherriff of Norfolk and Suffolk from 1406-1430. His father (d. 1374) was elected knight of the shire for Norfolk four times between 1346 and 1368, and in the course of his career he acquired a number of landed holdings in the county.

Early History of the Burney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burney research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1558, 1591, 1620, 1622, 1668, 1688, 1693, 1697, 1706, 1710, 1742, 1757, 1759, 1778, 1780, 1825, 1843, 1870, 1893, 1900, 1907, 1952 and 1975 are included under the topic Early Burney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burney Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Barney, Berney, Barny, Berny, Barnie, Bernie, Bernaye, Bairney, Bearnie, Bearny, Bernais, Berneys, Berneyes, Bearnay and many more.

Early Notables of the Burney family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Barney who was listed on the Register of the University of Oxford in 1591. 1 The Berney Baronets, of Parkehall include: Sir Richard Berney, 1st Baronet (died 1668); Sir Thomas Berney, 2nd Baronet (died 1693); Sir Richard Berney, 3rd Baronet (died 1706); Sir Richard Berney, 4th Baronet (1688-1710)...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burney Ranking

In the United States, the name Burney is the 2,865^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Burney family to Ireland

Some of the Burney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burney migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Burney or a variant listed above:

Burney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Anthony Burney, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 7

Burney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Burney, and his wife settled with their three sons, his mother and father William, in Louisiana in 1797
William Burney, aged 28, who landed in Louisiana in 1797 7

Burney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Burney, who landed in New York in 1826 7
J Burney, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
Samuel Burney, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1850
Major Burney, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7

Burney migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Burney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Burney, (b. 1813), aged 25, Irish labourer who was convicted in Carlow, Ireland for 7 years for assault, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1862 8
Mr. Edward Burney, (b. 1823), aged 19, English black smith who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 10 years for theft, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island), he died in 1899 9
Richard Burney, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cressy" in 1847 10
Mary Burney, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Coromandel" in 1850 11
Miss Esther Burney, (b. 1825), aged 25, Cornish nursery governess from Torpoint, Cornwall, UK aboard the ship "Culloden" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 5th July 1850 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Burney (post 1700) +

Leroy Edgar Burney (1906-1998), American physician and public health official, eighth Surgeon General of the United States from 1956 to 1961
William Evans Burney (1893-1969), U.S. Representative from Colorado
Jacob Burney (b. 1959), American defensive line coach for the Washington Redskins
Robert Henry Burney, American politician, Member of Texas State Senate 28th District, 1887-88 13
Rashid A. Burney, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 2008 13
James T. Burney, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1884 (alternate), 1900 13
J. W. Burney, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1860 13
Dwight Willard Burney (1892-1987), American politician, Member of Nebraska unicameral legislature, 1945-57; Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, 1957-60, 1961-65; Governor of Nebraska, 1960-61 13
Charles O. Burney Jr. (b. 1907), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Erie County 7th District, 1937-40; Member of New York State Senate, 1941-48 13
Cecil E. Burney (1914-1989), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1956, 1964 13
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CRESSY 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Cressy.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) COROMANDEL 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Coromandel.gif
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html