Burney is an uncommon given name of English origin, derived from an Old French surname meaning 'from Burnham,' which was a place in Norfolk. It has also been suggested that Burney could be a variant of the Irish surname Bourke. Throughout history, there have been notable individuals with the name Burney, most famously the 18th-century British dramatist and novelist Frances (Burney) Burney.
Over the course of these years, the name Burney experienced significant fluctuations in popularity. The highest number of births occurred in 1924 and 1956 with 18 births each, while the lowest were recorded in several years between 1930 and 1974, with as few as five births per year during some periods. The total number of births was 883 over this span.