BURKINSHAW
Burkinshaw is an English surname that originates from the Anglo‑Saxon period. The name is a locational or topographic surname, first recorded in the late 13th century.
The etymology derives from the Old English personal name Burcin or Burca, combined with the element sceaga, meaning a wood or thicket. Consequently, the surname originally referred to a person dwelling near or within a woodland that belonged to, or was associated with, a man named Burcin or Burca.
Another line of evidence links Burkinshaw to the place called Birkenshaw, situated near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. The placename is first recorded in 1274 as Birkenschawe and is interpreted as “the birch grove”, derived from the pre‑7th Century Old English term bircen (birch) joined with sceaga (copse, shaw, or grove). This locational origin accounts for the variety of spellings that have emerged; the consonant r is often transposed, producing forms such as Brokenshire, Brockenshaw, Brokenshaw, Bruckshaw, Brigginshaw, Burkinshaw, Burtonshaw, Burtenshaw and Birtenshaw.
Early documentary evidence illustrates the persistence of the name across centuries. In the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, dated 1274 during the reign of King Edward the First, a “William del Birkenschawe” is recorded. Subsequent mentions include “Roger Birchynshawe” (1408, London) and “Richard Brekynshawe” (1500, Yorkshire). A notable marital record shows the union of Constance Brokenshire with John Bernard at St. James’s, Dukes Place, London on 9 January 1685.
In sum, the surname Burkinshaw is firmly rooted in English history, with its linguistic components tracing back to Anglo‑Saxon terminology for both personal names and woodland features. Its documented usage from the 13th century onwards underscores its heritage as a distinct locational surname within Britain, particularly in the West Yorkshire region.
Typical given names associated with the Burkinshaw surname
Male
- Andrew
- Barry
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Keith
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Carol
- Emma
- Joan
- Joyce
- Julie
- Louise
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Burkinshaw in...
Braille
⠃⠥⠗⠅⠊⠝⠎⠓⠁⠺
Morse
-.....-.-.-.-..-.........-.--
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,334 people named Burkinshaw in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,885th most common surname in Britain. Around 20 in a million people in Britain are named Burkinshaw.
Famous people named Burkinshaw
- Keith Burkinshaw - Football player and manager
- Ralph Burkinshaw - Football player (1898 to 1)
- Laurie Burkinshaw - Football player (1893 to 1969)
- George Burkinshaw - Football player (1922 to 1982)
- Ross Burkinshaw - Boxer
- Jack Burkinshaw - Football player (1890 to 1)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.