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Burrell

♂ Boy

Pronounced BUR-uhl /ˈbɜr.əl/Medium

Meaning: Burrell is an English surname from Old French 'burel' — a coarse brown woolen cloth — likely an occupational or nickname surname, later used as a given name. Its sense traces to that russet fabric.Low

In 30 seconds: Burrell is an English surname from 'burel', a brown woolen cloth, used as a first name (said 'BUR-uhl').

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Origin LowEnglish, Old French

MeaningBurrell is an English surname from Old French 'burel' — a coarse brown woolen cloth — likely an occupational or nickname surname, later used as a given name. Its sense traces to that russet fabric.

U.S. rank (2001)#9424 ↘ Falling

2001 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1919

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,475

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Burrell is an English surname from Old French burel, a rough reddish-brown wool once worn by common folk — probably an occupational or descriptive surname. Families carried it into first-name use in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

As a given name it was never common, chosen for only a few dozen boys a year at its late-1910s peak, and it remains a rare, old-fashioned surname-name.

Did you know? Burrell moved from surname to given name in the old Southern style of honoring family lines; the surname itself named a coarse russet cloth.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Burrell — English surname; Old French 'burel' cloth

Variations

BurrelBurl

Nicknames

BurlRell

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If you like Burrell…

Burl— a close short cousin of the same surname sound

Merrill— a like double-l surname used as a boys' name

Harrell— another -ell surname-name of the era

Ferrell— a like vintage -ell surname-turned-first-name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Burrell mean?

Burrell is an English surname from Old French 'burel', a coarse brown woolen cloth, used as a given name.

How do you pronounce Burrell?

It's said BUR-uhl /ˈbɜr.əl/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Burrell a boy or girl name?

Burrell is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Burrell?

Burrell has always been rare in the U.S., a vintage surname used as a first name.