Burnside Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Burnside last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Burnside coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Burnside last name
Meaning of the Burnside last name: beside the stream. Burnside is a Scottish surname for someone living beside a burn, the Scots word for a stream. Several places named Burnside exist in Angus, Fife and the Borders. The last name reached America early; Union general Ambrose Burnside also gave his name to sideburns.
Arms associated with the Burnside name
Coats of arms associated with the Burnside surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Burnside family history
This is only a glimpse of the Burnside story. The full Burnside history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Burnside coat of arms. Get the full Burnside report.
Burnside name FAQ
What does the Burnside name mean?
Beside the stream. Common variants include Burnsyde.
Where does the Burnside surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Burnside coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Burnside coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).