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 a 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 Irish 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 ("amber").

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.

Burns (surname)

List of notable persons with the surname Burns

A

Aaron Burns (born 1985), American film producer and actor

Adrian Burns (born 1971), Australian rules footballer

Agnes Burns (1762–1834), Scottish social figure

A. K. Burns (born 1975), American artist

Alan Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Albert Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Alayna Burns (born 1980), Australian cyclist

Alec Burns (1907–2003), English track and field athlete

Alec Burns (cricketer) (born 1948), Trinidadian cricketer

Alex Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Alistair Burns (born 1964), English curler

Allan Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Allen Burns (1870–1925), Australian rules footballer

Andréa Burns (born 1971), American actress and singer

Andrew Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Andy Burns (born 1990), American baseball player

Angela Burns, British politician and businesswoman

Anna Burns (born 1962), Northern Irish author

Anne Burns (1915–2001), British engineer and pilot

Anne Burns (linguist), Welsh-Australian linguist

Anthony Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Antoine Burns (born 1979), American football player

Archibald Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Archibaldo Burns (1914–2011), Mexican film director and writer

Arnold Burns (1930–2013), American lawyer

Arthur Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Artie Burns (born 1995), American football player

B

Barnabas Burns (1817–1883), American politician and soldier

Barnet Burns (1805–1860), English sailor

Barry Burns, Scottish musician

Bart Burns (1918–2007), American actor

Beatrice Burns (1906–1988), American political figure

Ben Burns (1913–2000), American publisher

Benedict Delisle Burns (1915–2001), British neurophysiologist

Berta Burns (1893–1972), New Zealand journalist and activist

Beth Burns (born 1957), American basketball coach

Beverly Burns (born 1949), American aviator

Bill Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Billy Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Billy Joe Burns (born 1989), Northern Irish footballer

Bob Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Bobby Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Braidon Burns (born 1996), Australian rugby league footballer

Breehn Burns, American screenwriter

Brenda Burns (born 1950), American politician

Brendon Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Brent Burns (born 1985), Canadian hockey player

Brian Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Britt Burns (born 1959), American baseball player

Brooke Burns (born 1978), American model and actor

Bruce Burns (born 1952), American politician

Bryant Burns (born 1929), Australian politician

Burnie Burns (born 1973), American writer and filmmaker

Burton Burns (born 1952), American football coach

C

Carol Burns (1947–2015), Australian actor

Carolyn Burns (born 1942), New Zealand ecologist

Casey Burns (born 1975), American illustrator

Catherine Burns (1945–2019), American actress

Catherine Lloyd Burns (born 1961), American actress and writer

C. B. Burns (1879–1968), American baseball player

C. Delisle Burns (1879–1942), English writer

Cha Burns (1957–2007), Scottish guitarist

Charles Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Chris Burns (disambiguation), multiple people

Christian Burns (born 1974), British musician

Christian Burns (basketball) (born 1985), Italian-American basketball player

Burns (surname)