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Home › Baby Names Directory › Burnis

Burnis

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Burnis

Pronounced BUR-nis /ˈbɜːrnɪs/Medium

Meaning: Burnis is a Southern-flavoured name whose origin is uncertain. It may be a masculine reworking of Bernice, from the Greek Berenike, 'bringer of victory', or a form of the surname Burns, itself from a word for a stream. As a boy's name it likely traveled as a spoken family name.Low

In 30 seconds: Burnis is a rare boys' name of uncertain origin, likely from Bernice or the surname Burns. An early-century Southern name, it faded by the nineteen-eighties (said BUR-nis).
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningBurnis is a Southern-flavoured name whose origin is uncertain. It may be a masculine reworking of Bernice, from the Greek Berenike, 'bringer of victory', or a form of the surname Burns, itself from a word for a stream. As a boy's name it likely traveled as a spoken family name.
U.S. rank (1986)#6864 ↘ Falling
1986 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1925
Total births (all-time)≈ 842
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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192519121986

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Burnis is a vernacular boys' name of the early-twentieth-century South, best read either as a masculine take on Bernice or as the surname Burns reshaped. Rather than force a single root, it is honest to note both possibilities.

It was always a rarity, a few dozen boys a year around its faint high in the mid-nineteen-twenties, fading by the nineteen-eighties. Its sound sits near Bernard, Burnell and Ferris.

Did you know? Burnis is hard to pin down: it may be a masculine spin on Bernice or a form of the surname Burns, one of many early-century Southern names carried more by sound than by rule.
Overall data confidence 40%
References - Burnis — Likely from Bernice or surname Burns; origin uncertain

Variations

BurnessBurniceBernis

Nicknames

BurnBernie

Famous Bearers

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If you like Burnis…

Burnell— a related surname-style boy's name
Bernard— a same-sound traditional name
Burl— a short vintage boy's name of the era
Ferris— a kindred surname-name

Explore names like Burnis

By themeuncertainvintageamerican

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Burnis mean?

Its origin is uncertain; it is likely a masculine use of Bernice or a form of the surname Burns.

How do you pronounce Burnis?

It's said BUR-nis /ˈbɜːrnɪs/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Burnis a boy or girl name?

Burnis is used as a boy's name.

Is Burnis a popular name?

No, it was always rare and faded from American records by the nineteen-eighties.

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