A medieval verse speaks of "London York and Coventry and the Seven Burnhams by the sea".
The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions some of the Burnhams (see external links).
These were: Hence the mnemonic for the seven Burnhams: Nelson Of Thorpe Died Well Under Sail.
Burnham Overy is still a single civil parish, but in modern times a distinction is often made between the two settlements of Burnham Overy Town (actually a small settlement adjacent to the parish church) and Burnham Overy Staithe (a rather larger settlement about a mile away and next to the creek-side harbour).
Burnhamthorpe Road in Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada was named after Burnham Thorpe.