Burns (surname)
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. In other cases the surname Burns originated as a nickname meaning "burn house". In other cases, the surname Burns is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Ó Broin, which means "descendant of Bran". In some cases the surname Burns is an Americanized form of the Jewish surname Bernstein, which is derived from the German bernstein.
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.
List of notable persons with the surname Burns
Disambiguation
- Edward Burns
- Ronnie Burns, several people
Politics and law
- Arnold Burns, American lawyer
- Arthur John Burns, early settler of New Zealand and member of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- Barnabas Burns, American politician, lawyer, and soldier
- Brian D. Burns, Vermont politician
- Conrad Burns, American politician and senator
- DeWayne Burns, member of the Texas House of Representatives
- Edward E. Burns, member of the Wisconsin state senate
- Ellen Bree Burns, American judge
- E.L.M. Burns, Canadian Army officer and diplomat
- George Burns , Australian House of Representatives
- Harold Burns, American politician
- Joel Burns , American politician, Fort Worth city council member
- John Burns, English trade unionist, socialist, and politician
- John A. Burns, governor of Hawaii
- Lucy Burns, American suffragist and women's rights advocate
- Mary Burns, labor activist and partner of Friedrich Engels
- Michael W. Burns, American politician
- Mike Burns, American politician
- Max Burns, American politician and member of U.S. House of Representatives
- R. Nicholas Burns, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
- Simon Burns, British politician
- Timothy Burns, American politician
- Timothy G. Burns, American politician
- W. Haydon Burns, American politician
- William J. Burns, director of the U.S. Bureau of Investigation
- William Joseph Burns, 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, American actress
- Catherine Lloyd Burns, American actress and writer
- David Burns, actor and singer
- Ed Burns, American television writer
- Edward Burns, American actor
- Gene Burns, American radio host
- George Burns, American actor and comedian
- Glenn Burns, television meteorologist
- Gordon Burns, presenter of The Krypton Factor
- Jack Burns, American comedian and actor
- Jackie Burns, American musical theater actress
- Jackson Burns, American actor and stunt coordinator
- John Burns, British comic artist
- Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker
- Marilyn Burns, actress
- Michael Burns, American academic
- Mickey Burns, American interviewer
- Nicholas Burns, British actor
- Patrick Burns, 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 , English poet, writer, and poetry magazine editor
- John Fisher Burns, British foreign correspondent for The New York Times
- John Horne Burns, American novelist
- John Burns, children's author and screenplay writer
- Laura J. Burns, author
- Nellie Marie Burns, 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, Matthew James Burns, a British DJ and producer
- The Burns Sisters, Annie, Marie and Jeannie Burns, American folk music group
- Bob Burns , American drummer, original member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Cha Burns, guitarist for the Scottish rock band The Silencers
- Christian Burns, British musician
- John 'Jake' Burns, Irish singer, guitarist and musician
- John Burns, songwriter
- Kyle Burns, American drummer for artist 'Forever the Sickest Kids'
- Megan Burns, musician and actor; also known as "Betty Curse"
- Pauline Powell Burns, African-American pianist and artist
- Pete Burns, English singer and songwriter for the new wave band Dead or Alive
- Rob Burns, British–New Zealand bass player, author and academic
- Roy Burns , American drummer, educator, and percussion manufacturer
Sciences
- Albert Garrette Burns, inventor
- Allan Burns
- Arthur F. Burns, Galician-born American economist and chairman of the Federal Reserve
- John Burns
- Joseph A. Burns, American astronomer
- Louisa Burns, American osteopathic physician
- Marvin Ray Burns, mathematician
- Stephanie Burns, American organosilicon chemist
- Richard Burns, Geologist
Sports
- Alayna Burns, Australian cyclist
- Alistair Burns, English curler and coach
- Art Burns, American discus thrower
- Brent Burns, Canadian hockey player
- Brian Burns, American football player
- Britt Burns, American baseball pitcher
- Freddie Burns, English rugby player
- George Burns, American baseball player
- George Burns, American baseball player
- George Burns, New Zealand rower
- Ian Burns, English snooker player
- Jerry Burns, US football coach
- Joe Burns , American football player
- Joe Burns , American baseball player
- Joe Burns , American baseball player
- Joe Burns , Australian cricketer
- Joseph Burns , American baseball player
- Kenny Burns, Scottish footballer
- Kevin Burns, American mixed martial artist
- Liam Burns 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, English footballer
- Shernyl Burns, Montserratian athlete and cricketer
- Tommy Burns, Boxer, world heavyweight champion
- Tommy Burns, welterweight champion of Australia
- Tommy Burns, soccer player
Other
- Alan Burns, 4th Baron Inverclyde
- 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, Scottish shipping magnate
- George Burns, 2nd Baron Inverclyde, owner of a Scottish shipping company
- James Burns, director of the Power Corporation of Canada
- Sir James Burns, Scottish/Australian businessman, ship owner, and philanthropist
- James Burns, 3rd Baron Inverclyde, founder of the Cunard Line
- Rev. Dr. John Burns D.D., minister in the Church of Scotland
- John Burns, 1st Baron Inverclyde, ship owner
- John L. Burns, civilian who took up arms during the Battle of Gettysburg
- John M. Burns, American Civil War sailor and Medal of Honor recipient
- Sir Joseph Burns, 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
- Mary Burns, soldier in the American Civil War
- Otway Burns, American privateer, War of 1812
- Patrick Burns, Canadian rancher, businessman, senator, and philanthropist
- Red Burns, Canadian-born American academic
- Sebastian Burns, 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