NameCensus.

UK surname

Furneaux

A surname originating from the French words "four" and "neaux", meaning someone living near an oven or furnace.

In the 1881 census there were 398 people recorded with the Furneaux surname, ranking it #7,996 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 591, ranked #8,825, down from #7,996 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes and Buckfastleigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gwynedd, Torbay and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Furneaux is 665 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.5%.

1881 census count

398

Ranked #7,996

Modern count

591

2016, ranked #8,825

Peak year

2000

665 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Furneaux had 398 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,996 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016, ranked #8,825.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 611 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Furneaux surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Furneaux surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Furneaux 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 280 #8,043
1861 historical 166 #14,039
1881 historical 398 #7,996
1891 historical 455 #8,009
1901 historical 601 #7,068
1911 historical 611 #6,744
1997 modern 615 #8,008
1998 modern 636 #8,041
1999 modern 650 #7,942
2000 modern 665 #7,799
2001 modern 648 #7,816
2002 modern 641 #8,044
2003 modern 618 #8,139
2004 modern 612 #8,229
2005 modern 591 #8,363
2006 modern 578 #8,521
2007 modern 587 #8,505
2008 modern 598 #8,437
2009 modern 625 #8,328
2010 modern 629 #8,475
2011 modern 624 #8,425
2012 modern 605 #8,550
2013 modern 604 #8,703
2014 modern 606 #8,743
2015 modern 598 #8,763
2016 modern 591 #8,825

Geography

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Where Furneaux' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes and Buckfastleigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gwynedd, Torbay, Teignbridge, Wokingham and Sedgemoor. 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 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Buckfastleigh Devon
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gwynedd 017 Gwynedd
2 Torbay 016 Torbay
3 Teignbridge 017 Teignbridge
4 Wokingham 019 Wokingham
5 Sedgemoor 001 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Furneaux

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Furneaux

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Furneaux, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Furneaux surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Furneaux household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Furneaux is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Furneaux is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Furneaux falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Furneaux 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 Furneaux, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Furneaux

The surname FURNEAUX originated in the Normandy region of France and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French words "furnel" meaning "oven" and "aux" meaning "people of". This suggests the name was initially an occupational name for a family or group involved in baking or operating ovens.

One of the earliest known records of the FURNEAUX name is in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Furnevaux". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land and property ownership throughout England. The presence of the FURNEAUX name indicates that individuals with this surname had likely settled in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, the FURNEAUX name appeared in various medieval records and documents, often associated with the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in England. One notable individual was Sir John Furneaux, a knight who fought in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346.

During the 16th century, the FURNEAUX name spread to other parts of England, including Cornwall. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in this region was that of Philip Furneaux, born in 1565 in the town of Swilly, Cornwall.

In the 18th century, the FURNEAUX name gained further prominence with the exploits of Captain Tobias Furneaux (1735-1781), a British naval officer and explorer. He accompanied Captain James Cook on his second voyage to the Pacific Ocean and is credited with the discovery of several islands in the South Pacific.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Furneaux (1762-1840), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Truro in Cornwall. He was also the High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1789.

Over the centuries, the FURNEAUX surname has been subject to various spellings, including Furneaux, Furneux, Furnevaux, and Furnivall. The name has also been associated with several place names, such as Furneaux Island in the Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia, and the town of Furneux Pelham in Hertfordshire, England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Furneaux families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Furneaux 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. Devon leads with 212 Furneaux' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.23x.

County Total Index
Devon 212 26.23x
Middlesex 62 1.60x
Surrey 26 1.37x
Cornwall 20 4.55x
Warwickshire 20 2.04x
Hampshire 9 1.13x
Kent 8 0.60x
Glamorgan 6 0.89x
Oxfordshire 6 2.50x
Dorset 5 1.96x
Lancashire 5 0.11x
Wiltshire 4 1.17x
Durham 3 0.26x
Essex 2 0.26x
Gloucestershire 2 0.26x
Sussex 2 0.31x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Angus 1 0.28x
Norfolk 1 0.17x
Shropshire 1 0.30x
Worcestershire 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Buckfastleigh in Devon leads with 55 Furneaux' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1474.53x.

Place Total Index
Buckfastleigh 55 1474.53x
Tormoham 30 87.75x
Brixham 29 309.83x
Plymouth Charles The 22 61.80x
St Gluvias Penryn 15 426.14x
St Pancras London 15 4.80x
Newington 13 9.06x
South Brent 10 574.71x
Coventry St Michael 9 28.62x
Lambeth 9 2.66x
Mile End Old Town London 9 10.89x
Portsea 9 5.77x
Bow London 8 16.19x
Lewisham 8 11.33x
Staverton 8 808.08x
Coventry Holy Trinity 7 23.95x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.56x
Lower Heyford 6 857.14x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 9.64x
St George Bloomsbury 6 26.94x
Stoke Damerel 6 10.61x
Swansea Town 6 10.83x
Blandford Forum 5 99.40x
Diptford 5 568.18x
Islington London 5 1.33x
Shoreditch London 5 2.97x
Ashburton 4 103.63x
Berry Pomeroy 4 298.51x
Denbury 4 909.09x
Enfield 4 15.70x
Ilsington 4 283.69x
Preshute 4 189.57x
Totnes 4 84.57x
Exeter St Lawrence 3 491.80x
Falmouth 3 19.28x
Gateshead 3 3.47x
Gorton 3 6.93x
Battersea 2 1.40x
Bishopsteignton 2 130.72x
Bristol St Peter 2 73.53x
Cherrington 2 606.06x
Devonport 2 21.53x
Frimley 2 37.11x
Horton In Bradford 2 3.33x
Newton Abbot St Mary 2 29.50x
Ottery St Mary 2 37.74x
St Andrew Undershaft 2 465.12x
West Derby 2 1.48x
Barking 1 4.46x
Bickington 1 312.50x
Birmingham 1 0.31x
Buckland Monachorum 1 57.80x
Chudleigh 1 38.91x
Dawlish 1 16.58x
Dundee 1 0.74x
Frant 1 21.55x
Friern Barnet 1 11.70x
Great Yarmouth 1 2.02x
Hadleigh 1 161.29x
Highweek 1 34.72x
Hove 1 3.48x
Kingsteignton 1 44.44x
Madron Penzance 1 6.26x
Salcombe Regis 1 131.58x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 8.50x
Sidmouth 1 21.60x
St George Martyr London 1 12.72x
St Germans 1 32.57x
Stratford On Avon 1 18.42x
West Teignmouth 1 16.18x
Wolborough 1 9.78x
Yardley 1 7.71x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
John 26
George 22
Samuel 15
Henry 12
Charles 6
Frederick 6
James 6
Thomas 6
Alfred 5
Edwin 5
Walter 5
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Christopher 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Aaron 1
Bertey 1
Bovey 1
Brendon 1
Chal.E. 1
Claude 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Geog.W. 1
Gilbert 1
H.J. 1
Harry 1
Hubert 1
Jeffery 1
Jno.M. 1
Joshua 1
Laurence 1
Lenord 1
Maria 1
Micheal 1
Norman 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Sidney 1
Thos.Goswick 1
Wheaton 1

FAQ

Furneaux surname: questions and answers

How common was the Furneaux surname in 1881?

In 1881, 398 people were recorded with the Furneaux surname. That placed it at #7,996 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Furneaux surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 591 in 2016. That gives Furneaux a modern rank of #8,825.

What does the Furneaux surname mean?

A surname originating from the French words "four" and "neaux", meaning someone living near an oven or furnace.

What does the Furneaux map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Furneaux 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.