Burgess
An English surname from the word for a town freeman or borough citizen.
The #444 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,176 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Burgess comes from Middle English burgess, meaning a freeman or citizen of a borough or incorporated town. The word was used for someone with the rights and duties of town membership, and as a surname it likely began as an occupational or status-based byname. It ultimately goes back to the same Germanic root as burg and borough, referring to a fortified settlement or town.
History
The surname is recorded early in medieval England, and the historical sources treat it as a status surname rather than a place-name. It remained common in England and also appears in Scotland, where related forms could be rendered as burgher. The name later spread widely to English-speaking countries, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root behind Burgess also gave English words like borough and burgh, all tied to the idea of a protected town or fortified place.
From the historical record
“BURGER. Burgher; in Scotland the same as Burgess iu England. BURGESS. BURGES. A freeman of a corporate town or borough. ^^BURGH. A component sjdlable in many local surnames. It also stands alone, and may be derived from one or more of the various places so called in Cumberland, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Lin- coln. It…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom