Burwell
A surname that most likely began as a place name, meaning someone from Burwell or a similar locality.
The #5,613 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,854 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Burwell is best understood as a locational surname, referring to someone who came from a place called Burwell. The place-name is usually explained from Old English elements meaning "fortified place" or "stronghold" plus "spring" or "stream," though the exact local development can vary by site. In short, the surname originally identified a person by hometown rather than by trade or personal trait.
History
The surname developed in the usual English way: people were identified by where they came from, and the place-name eventually became hereditary. The sources supplied here do not give a dedicated etymology for Burwell, but one excerpt notes Burwell as a possible local place-name source in the same family as other English locational surnames. It is found in England and later appears in North America, including the U.S. census.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
There is an English place called Burwell in Cambridgeshire, and place-based surnames like this often spread far beyond the original village.
From the historical record
“Stiver, at Buttonville, C.W. ; Mr. Groat, at Arkono, C.W., and at Cakimet Island, C.E. John Farthings lives at Port Burwell, C.AV. ; Mr. Reals, at Cobourg, C.W. Perhaps Mr. Pound, of Quebec, belongs in this company. In Philadelphia I find families of Armgold, Cof- fre. Coin, Cost, Summ ; Messrs. Heap and Heaps ;”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)