NameCensus.

UK surname

Furmage

A surname derived from the Old French words for oven or furnace, perhaps once describing someone whose occupation involved working with ovens.

In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Furmage surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, up from #21,957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Corfe Castle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Gloucester and Slough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Furmage is 221 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 142.7%.

1881 census count

82

Ranked #21,957

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

2007

221 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Furmage had 82 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Furmage surname distribution map

The map shows where the Furmage surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Furmage surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Furmage over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 79 #19,712
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 82 #21,957
1891 historical 119 #21,415
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 174 #19,231
1998 modern 191 #18,624
1999 modern 193 #18,642
2000 modern 194 #18,554
2001 modern 198 #18,047
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 210 #17,559
2004 modern 215 #17,384
2005 modern 215 #17,334
2006 modern 213 #17,563
2007 modern 221 #17,343
2008 modern 218 #17,638
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 209 #18,893
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 207 #18,777
2013 modern 211 #18,872
2014 modern 211 #19,002
2015 modern 203 #19,381
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Furmages are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Corfe Castle, Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham and Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Gloucester and Slough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Corfe Castle Dorset
4 Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham Norfolk
5 Dorchester Holy Trinity, Fordington Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 012 Caerphilly
2 Gloucester 008 Gloucester
3 Gloucester 011 Gloucester
4 Caerphilly 009 Caerphilly
5 Slough 003 Slough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Furmage

These lists show first names that appear often with the Furmage surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Furmage

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Furmage, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Furmage surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Furmage household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Furmage is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Furmage is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Furmage falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Furmage is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Furmage, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Furmage

The surname FURMAGE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place name referring to a farmhouse or grange located in a furrow or small valley.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Huntingdonshire Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as 'de Fromage'. This spelling variation suggests a Norman French influence, which was common in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

By the late 13th century, the name had evolved to its more recognizable form of 'Furmage'. In the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire from 1327, a Richard Furmage is mentioned as a taxpayer in the village of Swavesey.

The FURMAGE surname continued to appear in various historical records over the centuries. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524 for Oxfordshire, a William Furmage is listed as a resident of the town of Burford.

One notable bearer of the FURMAGE name was John Furmage (c.1580-1655), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Stiffkey in Norfolk from 1629 until his death. He was known for his strong Puritan leanings and his opposition to the ecclesiastical policies of Archbishop William Laud.

Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Furmage (1710-1783), a successful merchant and landowner from Devonshire. He acquired substantial property holdings in the town of Honiton and served as the Mayor of the borough in 1765.

In the 19th century, the FURMAGE surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. One notable figure from this period was George Furmage (1812-1887), a prominent farmer and livestock breeder who won numerous prizes for his prize-winning cattle at agricultural shows across the West Country.

Other bearers of the FURMAGE name include William Furmage (1846-1922), a Victorian-era architect responsible for the design of several churches and public buildings in the Midlands, and Emily Furmage (1892-1957), a noted suffragette and campaigner for women's rights in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Furmage families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Furmage surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Dorset leads with 31 Furmages recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.05x.

County Total Index
Dorset 31 59.05x
Hampshire 17 10.37x
Surrey 9 2.31x
Midlothian 7 6.53x
Norfolk 4 3.25x
Wiltshire 4 5.65x
Yorkshire 3 0.38x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.97x
Gloucestershire 1 0.64x
Kent 1 0.37x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Middlesex 1 0.13x
Somerset 1 0.78x
Suffolk 1 1.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Charminster in Dorset leads with 9 Furmages recorded in 1881 and an index of 2142.86x.

Place Total Index
Charminster 9 2142.86x
Affpuddle 7 5384.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 16.24x
Lytchett Minster 5 2173.91x
Portsea 5 15.56x
Yarmouth 5 2272.73x
Downham Market 4 476.19x
Wareham Holy Trinity 4 1739.13x
Wareham Lady St Mary 4 975.61x
Melksham 3 243.90x
Putney 3 82.19x
Send Ripley 3 588.24x
Andover 2 129.03x
Corfe Castle 2 408.16x
Hessle In Sculcoates 2 285.71x
Holdenhurst 2 46.51x
Wandsworth 2 25.97x
Aldershot 1 18.21x
Bisley 1 70.42x
Fisherton Anger 1 76.34x
Folkestone 1 18.90x
Hampstead London 1 8.03x
Old Newton 1 526.32x
Oldham 1 3.26x
Southampton St Mary 1 9.70x
St Thomas Winchester 1 86.21x
Weston Super Mare 1 30.77x
Wimbledon 1 22.83x
Wisbech St Peter 1 39.37x
York Holy Trinity 1 147.06x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Furmage surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Mary 4
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Isabella 2
Annie 1
Caraine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Eugenia 1
Frances 1
Georgenia 1
Hannah 1
Hellen 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Melina 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Tamar 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Furmage surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Furmage surname: questions and answers

How common was the Furmage surname in 1881?

In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Furmage surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Furmage surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Furmage a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Furmage surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French words for oven or furnace, perhaps once describing someone whose occupation involved working with ovens.

What does the Furmage map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Furmage bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.