Burress History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Burress is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived near a town or fortress. Bury is an Old English word for town (modern borough) and means therefore at the borough. Bury is a place-name in counties Suffolk, Lancashire and Huntingdonshire, and the name could have been derived from any one of those place-names.

The Burress variant literally means "dweller near a stronghold or fortified place." 1

Henry Bederic or De Bury (fl. 1380), was an early English theologian, was "born at Bury, in Suffolk, from which place he derived his surname." 2

Early Origins of the Burress family

The surname Burress was first found in Devon where Geoffrey de la Burg and Richard de la Burg were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls lists Adam de la Bury and Richard de la Bury in Oxfordshire. Years later, William atte Berge and Richard atte Bury were listed as holding lands during the reign of King Edward III (1327 until his death.) 3

Arguably, the name could have had a Norman origin as one reference claims the name was derived from Bourry, near Gisors in Normandy, for it is here that Walbert and Richard de Bouri were listed in the Mangns Rotul. Scaccarii Normanniae in 1198. They are believed to be descended from Eustace de Bouri who was listed there in 1104. 4

Richard de Bury (1287-1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle, was an English bishop, writer and bibliophile, born near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Burray is "an island, forming part of the ancient parish of St. Peter, island of South Ronaldshay, South isles of Orkney, Scotland." 5

Early History of the Burress family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burress research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1287, 1345, 1364, 1430, 1446, 1470, 1472, 1522, 1535, 1571, 1580, 1624, 1644, 1655, 1666, 1667, 1690, 1714, 1715, 1720, 1722 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Burress History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burress Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Burress were recorded, including Bury, Burye, Burys, Buris, Burri, Burrey, Burry and others.

Early Notables of the Burress family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bury (fl. 1430-1470), Canon of Windsor from 1446 to 1472; John Bury (died c. 1522), English politician, Member of Parliament for Cambridge; William Bury, a London draper; and his son, John Bury (1535-1571), an English translator; John Bury...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burress Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burress Ranking

In the United States, the name Burress is the 6,557^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Burress family to Ireland

Some of the Burress family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burress migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Burress family emigrate to North America:

Burress Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Philip G. Burress, who arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Minnetonka" from London, England 7
Bertha Burress, who arrived in New York in 1911 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 7
Paul Burress, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1917 aboard the ship "Saratoga" from Havana, Cuba 7
Bridget Burress, aged 29, originally from Liverpool, England, who arrived in New York in 1923 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Burress (post 1700) +

William Burress (1867-1948), American actor from Newcomerstown, Ohio who appeared in more than seventy films from 1915 to 1939
Heather Elizabeth "Hedy" Burress (b. 1973), American actress who had a starring role in the film Foxfire as Maddy, and later landed roles in television shows Boston Common and E.R..
Plaxico Burress (b. 1977), American NFL football player from Norfolk, Virginia who played 12 seasons in the National Football League.
Withers A. Burress (1894-1977), American general, recipient of Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Silver Star, Croix de Guerre, Legion of Merit and Distinguished Service Medal
Ralph Burress, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1952 8
Ben E. Burress, American Republican politician, Member of Kentucky State House of Representatives 29th District, 1958-61 8

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html