The surname Burns has several origins. In some cases it derived from the Middle English or Scots burn, and originated as a topographic name for an individual who lived by a stream. In other cases the surname is a variant form of the surname Burnhouse, which originated as habitational name, derived from a place name made up of the word elements burn and house.[1] In other cases the surname Burns originated as a nickname meaning "burn house".[2] In other cases, the surname Burns is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Ó Broin,[1] which means "descendant of Bran".[3] In some cases the surname Burns is an Americanized form of the Jewish surname Bernstein,[1] which is derived from the German bernstein ("amber").[4]
An early form of the surname when derived from the place name Burnhouse is "Burnis", recorded in 1526. An early form of the surname when derived from a nickname meaning "burn house" is "Brenhus", recorded in 1286 and 1275.[5]
List of notable persons with the surname Burns
Disambiguation
- Brian Burns (disambiguation), multiple people
- Edward Burns (disambiguation), multiple people
- Marilyn Burns (disambiguation), multiple people
- Mark Burns (disambiguation), multiple people
- Ronnie Burns (disambiguation), multiple people
Politics and law
- Arnold Burns (1930–2013), American lawyer
- Arthur John Burns (1830–1901), early settler of New Zealand and member of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- Barnabas Burns (1817–1883), American politician, lawyer, and soldier
- Brian D. Burns, (1939–) Vermont politician
- Conrad Burns (born 1935), American politician and senator
- DeWayne Burns (born 1972), member of the Texas House of Representatives
- Edward E. Burns (1858–?), member of the Wisconsin state senate
- Ellen Bree Burns (1923–2019), American judge
- E.L.M. Burns (1897–1985), Canadian Army officer and diplomat
- George Burns (Australian politician) (1869–1932), Australian House of Representatives
- Harold Burns (1926–2013), American politician
- Joel Burns (politician) (born 1969), American politician, Fort Worth city council member
- John Burns (1858–1943), English trade unionist, socialist, and politician
- John A. Burns (1909–1975), governor of Hawaii
- Lucy Burns (1879–1966), American suffragist and women's rights advocate
- Mary Burns (died 1863), labor activist and partner of Friedrich Engels
- Michael W. Burns (born 1958), American politician
- Mike Burns (politician), American politician
- Max Burns (born 1948), American politician and member of U.S. House of Representatives
- R. Nicholas Burns (born 1956), U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
- Simon Burns (born 1952), British politician
- Timothy Burns (1820–1853), American politician
- W. Haydon Burns (1912–1987), American politician
- William J. Burns (1861–1932), director of the U.S. Bureau of Investigation (precursor to the Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- William Joseph Burns (born 1956), United States Deputy Secretary of State
Drama and television
- Allan Burns, American television writer and producer
- Brooke Burns, American model and actor
- Burnie Burns, independent filmmaker, machinimator
- Carol Burns, Australian actor
- Catherine Burns (born 1945), American actress
- Catherine Lloyd Burns (born 1961), American actress and writer
- David Burns (actor), actor and singer
- Ed Burns, American television writer
- Edward Burns, American actor
- Gene Burns (1940–2013), American radio host
- George Burns (1896–1996), American actor and comedian
- Glenn Burns, television meteorologist
- Gordon Burns, presenter of The Krypton Factor
- Jack Burns (1933–2020), American comedian and actor
- Jackie Burns, American musical theater actress
- Jackson Burns, American actor and stunt coordinator
- John Burns (comics), British comic artist
- Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker
- Marilyn Burns, actress
- Michael Burns (actor and historian), American academic
- Mickey Burns, American interviewer
- Nicholas Burns (British actor), British actor
- Patrick Burns (paranormal investigator), American paranormal investigator and television presenter
- Paul E. Burns, American actor
- Ric Burns, documentary filmmaker and writer
- Scott Z. Burns, screenwriter, director, and producer
- Steve Burns, American children's actor and musician
Literature and journalism
- Charles Burns, cartoonist and illustrator
- David D. Burns, author
- Eric Burns, American media critic and journalist
- Gordon Burns, British journalist
- James MacGregor Burns, presidential biographer and leadership theorist
- Jim Burns (poet) (born 1936), English poet, writer, and poetry magazine editor
- John Fisher Burns, British foreign correspondent for The New York Times
- John Horne Burns (1916–1953), American novelist
- John Burns, children's author and screenplay writer
- Laura J. Burns, author
- Nellie Marie Burns (ca. 1850 – 1897), American actor and poet
- Robert Burns, pioneer of the Romantic movement and Scotland's national poet
- Robert Elliott Burns, Georgia chain gang fugitive and author
Music
- Burns (DJ), Matthew James Burns, a British DJ and producer
- The Burns Sisters, Annie, Marie and Jeannie Burns, American folk music group
- Bob Burns (drummer) (1950–2015), American drummer, original member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Cha Burns (1957–2007), guitarist for the Scottish rock band The Silencers
- Christian Burns (born 1974), British musician
- John 'Jake' Burns (born 1958), Irish singer, guitarist and musician
- John Burns (1858–1943), songwriter
- Kyle Burns, American drummer for artist 'Forever the Sickest Kids'
- Megan Burns (born 1986), musician and actor; also known as "Betty Curse"
- Pauline Powell Burns (1872–1912), African-American pianist and artist
- Pete Burns (1959–2016), English singer and songwriter for the new wave band Dead or Alive
- Rob Burns (born 1953), British–New Zealand bass player, author and academic
- Roy Burns (drummer) (born 1935), American drummer, educator, and percussion manufacturer
Sciences
- Albert Garrette Burns, inventor
- Allan Burns (surgeon) (1781–1813)
- Arthur F. Burns (1904–1987), Galician-born American economist and chairman of the Federal Reserve
- John Burns (surgeon) (1775–1850)
- Joseph A. Burns, American astronomer
- Louisa Burns (c.1869-1958), American osteopathic physician
- Marilyn Burns (mathematics educator) (born 1941)
- Marvin Ray Burns, mathematician
- Stephanie Burns (born 1955), American organosilicon chemist
- Richard Burns (born 1991), Geologist
Sports
- Alayna Burns (born 1980), Australian cyclist
- Alistair Burns, English curler and coach
- Art Burns, American discus thrower
- Brent Burns, Canadian hockey player
- Brian Burns (American football), American football player
- Britt Burns, American baseball pitcher
- Freddie Burns, English rugby player
- George Burns (first baseman), American baseball player
- George Burns (outfielder), American baseball player
- George Burns (rower), New Zealand rower
- Ian Burns, English snooker player
- Jerry Burns, US football coach
- Joe Burns (American football) (born 1979), American football player
- Joe Burns (infielder) (1916–1974), American baseball player
- Joe Burns (catcher) (1900–1986), American baseball player
- Joe Burns (cricketer) (born 1989), Australian cricketer
- Joseph Burns (baseball) (1889–1987), American baseball player
- Kenny Burns, Scottish footballer
- Kevin Burns, American mixed martial artist
- Liam Burns (born 1978) Northern Irish former professional footballer
- Marc Burns, Trinidad and Tobago athlete
- Marge Burns, American professional golfer
- Micky Burns, English footballer
- Mike Burns, U.S. soccer player
- Nathan Burns, Australian footballer
- Pat Burns, hockey coach
- Richard Burns, English rally driver
- Rory Burns, English cricketer
- Roy Burns (footballer), English footballer
- Shernyl Burns, Montserratian athlete and cricketer
- Tommy Burns (Canadian boxer), Boxer, world heavyweight champion
- Tommy Burns (Australian boxer), welterweight champion of Australia
- Tommy Burns (footballer), soccer player
Other
- Alan Burns, 4th Baron Inverclyde (1897–1957)
- Anthony Burns, fugitive slave
- Barnet Burns, New Zealand showman
- Beverly Burns, American aviator
- Brian P. Burns, Irish-American businessman and art collector
- Ed "Big Ed" Burns, 19th century American con man
- George Burns (shipping magnate), Scottish shipping magnate
- George Burns, 2nd Baron Inverclyde (1861–1905), owner of a Scottish shipping company
- James Burns, director of the Power Corporation of Canada
- Sir James Burns (shipowner), Scottish/Australian businessman, ship owner, and philanthropist
- James Burns, 3rd Baron Inverclyde (1864–1919), founder of the Cunard Line
- Rev. Dr. John Burns D.D. (1744–1839), minister in the Church of Scotland
- John Burns, 1st Baron Inverclyde (1829–1901), ship owner
- John L. Burns, civilian who took up arms during the Battle of Gettysburg
- John M. Burns (sailor), American Civil War sailor and Medal of Honor recipient
- Sir Joseph Burns (1871–1950), chairman of the Prudential Insurance Company
- Lawton Burns, American business theorist
- Leopoldina Burns, American religious sister and missionary
- Louis F. Burns, American historian of the Osage Nation
- Mark Burns (televangelist), Televangelist
- Mary Burns (soldier), soldier in the American Civil War
- Otway Burns, American privateer, War of 1812
- Patrick Burns, Canadian rancher, businessman, senator, and philanthropist
- Red Burns (1925–2013), Canadian-born American academic
- Sebastian Burns (born 1975), Canadian convicted murderer
- Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox Corporation
- William Wallace Burns, American Civil War major general
Fictional characters
- Charles Montgomery Burns, a character in the television series The Simpsons
- Larry Burns, his son, featured in the episode "Burns, Baby Burns"
- Eunice Burns, a character in the film What's Up, Doc?
- Frank Burns, a character in the film and television series M*A*S*H
- Harry Burns, a character in the film When Harry Met Sally...
- Sir Isambard Burns, a character in Raymond Postgate's novel Verdict of Twelve
- Nick Burns, a character in a recurring Saturday Night Live skit
- Peter Burns, a character in the television series Melrose Place
People with the first, middle, or maiden name Burns
- Isaac Burns Murphy, African-American thoroughbred jockey
- Emily Burns Robison, musician, member of American country band the Dixie Chicks
- Burn Gorman, British actor
- Lurleen Burns Wallace, former Governor of Alabama
- William Burns Smith, former Mayor of Philadelphia
See also
- Berns (surname)
References
- ^ a b c Oxford Dictionary of Family Names: Burns, Answers.com, retrieved 28 January 2013. This webpage is a partial transcription of Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, 2006.
- ^ Reaney, Percy Hilde (1995), Wilson, Richard Middlewood (ed.), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 63, 75, ISBN 0-19-863146-4.
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of Family Names: Byrne, Answers.com, retrieved 28 January 2013. This webpage is a partial transcription of Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, 2006.
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of Family Names: Bernstein, Answers.com, retrieved 28 January 2013. This webpage is a partial transcription of Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, 2006.
- ^ Reaney, Percy Hilde (1995), Wilson, Richard Middlewood (ed.), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 75, ISBN 0-19-863146-4.