How popular is the baby name Burr in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Burr.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Burr


Posts that mention the name Burr

Babies named for Theodosia Burr

American socialite Theodosia Burr (1783-1813)
Theodosia Burr

We’ve all heard of early American politician Aaron Burr, but not as many of us know about his daughter, Theodosia — a well-educated socialite whose mysterious disappearance in early 1813 kept Americans intrigued for decades.

On the last day of 1812, 29-year-old Theodosia set sail from South Carolina (where she lived with her husband, Joseph Alston, the newly elected governor) to New York, to visit her father.

She was never seen again.

Presumably her ship was wrecked in a storm off Cape Hatteras, and all aboard were lost at sea.

No one knew for sure, though, and this left room for a number of alternative theories (many of which involved pirates).

These theories were printed and re-printed in the newspapers and other publications for decades to come. For instance, the following illustration of Theodosia being forced to walk the plank (by pirates, of course) was published in a California newspaper in 1906 — almost a century after her disappearance.

Theodosia walking the plank

Thanks to these recurring stories, dozens (possibly hundreds?) of baby girls were named “Theodosia Burr” during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some examples…

Her most famous namesake was Theodosia Burr Goodman, born in Ohio in 1885, who went on to become silent film actress Theda Bara.

Sources:

Top image: Theodosia Burr (Mrs. Joseph Alston)

Babies named for Aaron Burr

U.S. politician Aaron Burr (1756-1836)
Aaron Burr

Killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel in July of 1804 may have effectively ended Aaron Burr’s political career, but it didn’t dissuade American parents from continuing to name their baby boys “Aaron Burr.” (Which sounds best when said with a mouth full of peanut butter, of course.)

Of the dozens of Burr namesakes I spotted in the records, a handful were born as early as the 1790s, while Burr was representing the state of New York in the U.S. Senate. But most came along in the 1800s, either while Burr was serving as U.S. Vice President (1801-1805) under Thomas Jefferson or in the years that followed.

Some examples:

Incidentally, I didn’t spot any namesakes from 1804 specifically…

Sources: Aaron Burr – Wikipedia, Find a Grave, FamilySearch, A Chinese Slave in Alexandria? – Immigration in the U.S. South