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Burl

OriginEnglish
Meaning"knotty wood; butler"

About Burl

This name has a nicely fragrant woodsy feel, bringing it into the nature-tree name category. Its only well-known bearer, folk singer and Oscar-winning actor Burl Ives, had the full birth certificate name of Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives — nothing compared to his two siblings named Argola and Lillburn.

Pronounced BURL.

As of October 2026, Burl ranked #11118 in US births in 2024 SSA, peaked at #381 in 1887.

Editor: Pamela Redmond

Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.

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Burl on lists

Famous Burls

  • Burl Ives

    American actor, writer, and folk music singer

Burl in pop culture

  • Little Burl

    character in the book "Christy" by Catherine Marshall

  • Burl "Gopher" Smith

    character on TV's "The Love Boat"

Variations & nicknames

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