NameCensus.

UK surname

Furness

A locational surname referring to someone from Furness, an area in Cumbria, England, or living near a furnace.

In the 1881 census there were 2,385 people recorded with the Furness surname, ranking it #1,871 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,999, ranked #2,240, down from #1,871 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Eyam and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, High Peak and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Furness is 3,349 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.7%.

1881 census count

2,385

Ranked #1,871

Modern count

2,999

2016, ranked #2,240

Peak year

1911

3,349 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Furness had 2,385 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,871 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,999 in 2016, ranked #2,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,349 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Furness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Furness surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Furness 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 1,316 #2,177
1861 historical 1,182 #2,402
1881 historical 2,385 #1,871
1891 historical 2,541 #1,869
1901 historical 2,831 #1,967
1911 historical 3,349 #1,559
1997 modern 3,110 #2,061
1998 modern 3,191 #2,104
1999 modern 3,263 #2,069
2000 modern 3,247 #2,070
2001 modern 3,129 #2,104
2002 modern 3,196 #2,101
2003 modern 3,096 #2,121
2004 modern 3,070 #2,138
2005 modern 3,003 #2,159
2006 modern 2,961 #2,187
2007 modern 2,981 #2,184
2008 modern 3,022 #2,175
2009 modern 3,109 #2,173
2010 modern 3,162 #2,187
2011 modern 3,101 #2,198
2012 modern 3,019 #2,210
2013 modern 3,109 #2,187
2014 modern 3,098 #2,201
2015 modern 3,030 #2,229
2016 modern 2,999 #2,240

Geography

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Where Furness' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Eyam, Manchester, Sheffield and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, Kirklees, Eden and Hyndburn. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Eyam Derbyshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 001 Derbyshire Dales
2 High Peak 013 High Peak
3 Kirklees 053 Kirklees
4 Eden 004 Eden
5 Hyndburn 007 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Furness

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Furness

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Furness 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

Furness is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Furness falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Furness

The surname Furness originates from the region of Furness in the English county of Cumbria. It dates back to the 13th century, derived from the Old Norse words 'fjor' meaning a lake or firth, and 'nes' meaning a promontory or headland. The area of Furness was known for its rich iron ore deposits and prosperous iron industry, which likely contributed to the surname's origins.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Furness can be found in the Register of the Priory of St. Bees in Cumbria, dating back to the year 1285. This document mentions a person named Richard de Furnesio, who was likely from the Furness region.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records related to the Furness Abbey, a former monastery located in the Furness region. For instance, a 1327 document mentions a monk named Thomas de Furnesio, while another record from 1348 refers to a William de Furneys.

The Furness surname has been associated with notable historical figures, such as Sir John Furness (1537-1592), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who served as Lord Mayor of York in 1588. Another prominent individual was Sir Christopher Furness (1624-1683), a Member of Parliament and Vice-Admiral of Lancashire during the English Civil War.

In the 19th century, the Furness family played a significant role in the industrial and shipping industries. Sir Christopher Furness (1809-1912) was a prominent industrialist and shipbuilder from West Hartlepool, England, who founded the famous Furness Shipbuilding Company. His son, Sir Stephen Furness (1835-1914), was a successful shipowner and Member of Parliament.

Another notable figure was Sir Walter Furness (1870-1954), a British businessman and shipowner from the Furness family. He served as the chairman of the Furness Withy & Co. shipping company and was a prominent philanthropist, supporting various educational and cultural institutions in his lifetime.

While the Furness surname originated in the English county of Cumbria, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries. The name has a rich historical significance, particularly in the areas of industry, shipping, and commerce, where many individuals bearing this surname have made notable contributions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Furness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Furness 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. Yorkshire leads with 772 Furness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.34x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 772 3.34x
Lancashire 399 1.44x
Middlesex 202 0.87x
Derbyshire 154 4.22x
Cumberland 128 6.37x
Durham 99 1.43x
Cheshire 86 1.67x
Norfolk 64 1.78x
Westmorland 62 12.09x
Northamptonshire 60 2.73x
Warwickshire 48 0.82x
Surrey 42 0.37x
Northumberland 38 1.09x
Staffordshire 36 0.46x
Kent 27 0.34x
Lincolnshire 18 0.48x
Leicestershire 16 0.62x
Roxburghshire 14 3.31x
Essex 13 0.28x
Hertfordshire 10 0.62x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.64x
Midlothian 9 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.54x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.51x
Lanarkshire 7 0.09x
Glamorgan 6 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.81x
Bedfordshire 5 0.41x
Hampshire 5 0.10x
Worcestershire 5 0.16x
Monmouthshire 4 0.24x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.13x
Berkshire 3 0.17x
Cornwall 3 0.11x
Denbighshire 3 0.34x
Royal Navy 3 1.08x
Shropshire 3 0.15x
Devon 2 0.04x
Dorset 2 0.13x
Gloucestershire 2 0.04x
Sussex 2 0.05x
Argyllshire 1 0.15x
Channel Islands 1 0.14x
Perthshire 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Suffolk 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 60 Furness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.76x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 60 12.76x
Leeds 58 4.44x
Liversedge 57 55.38x
Sheffield 49 6.66x
Bradfield 46 51.60x
Elland Cum Greetland 39 37.44x
Eyam 31 303.92x
Stainland Cum Old 30 75.82x
Hulme 28 4.84x
Ashford 26 481.48x
Barrow In Furness 26 6.90x
Cold Higham 25 871.08x
Islington London 25 1.11x
Bow London 24 8.08x
Hartshead 24 231.66x
Dewsbury 23 9.70x
Halifax 23 6.78x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 22 20.48x
Ecclesfield 21 12.39x
St Pancras London 20 1.06x
West Ardsley 20 71.86x
Chorlton On Medlock 18 4.09x
Hainford 18 358.57x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 2.81x
Hipperholme Cum 17 16.73x
Warrington 17 5.18x
Chesterfield 16 11.68x
Dukinfield 15 6.30x
Huddersfield 15 4.45x
Manchester 15 1.20x
Willesden 15 6.82x
Preston 14 1.89x
Stoney Middleton 14 498.22x
Stranton 13 5.56x
Tideswell 13 82.02x
Cavers 12 113.53x
Church 12 30.69x
Dodford 12 710.06x
Haughton 12 29.71x
Shoreditch London 12 1.19x
Altrincham 11 12.22x
Appleby St Michael 11 95.40x
Birmingham 11 0.56x
Brightside Bierlow 11 2.43x
Chatham 11 5.02x
Crosby Ravensworth 11 175.72x
Elswick 11 3.97x
Moss Side 11 7.55x
Pendleton In Salford 11 3.33x
Pinner 11 53.82x
Saddleworth 11 6.17x
Skipton 11 15.12x
Accrington 10 3.97x
Bradford 10 1.79x
Hampstead London 10 2.75x
Harrington 10 41.24x
Morley 10 8.32x
Nether Hallam 10 3.20x
Sandal Magna 10 29.25x
St Swithin Lincoln 10 17.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 1.20x
Workington 10 8.69x
Bethnal Green London 9 0.89x
Birkenhead 9 2.19x
Bollington In 9 19.63x
Burnley 9 3.86x
Cheadle 9 9.15x
Clayton Le Moors 9 16.75x
Darlington 9 3.36x
Enfield 9 5.88x
Hesket In Forest 9 57.40x
Kirkdale 9 1.93x
Leicester St Margaret 9 1.43x
Norton 9 29.90x
Rugby 9 11.31x
South Gosforth 9 223.33x
South Leith 9 2.56x
St George Hanover Square 9 2.19x
Walsall Borough 9 14.72x
Oldham 8 0.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 178
Elizabeth 105
Sarah 91
Jane 52
Ann 46
Alice 42
Ellen 40
Annie 36
Emma 32
Hannah 32
Margaret 28
Martha 28
Eliza 26
Charlotte 18
Emily 17
Edith 14
Anne 12
Isabella 12
Harriet 11
Ada 10
Clara 10
Frances 9
Maria 9
Sophia 9
Agnes 8
Catherine 8
Fanny 8
Florence 8
Gertrude 8
Harriett 8
Amy 7
Kate 7
Louisa 7
Susannah 7
Caroline 6
Eleanor 6
Elizth. 6
Francis 6
Lilly 6
Lucy 6
Rachel 6
Ruth 6
Amelia 5
Betty 5
Matilda 5
Susan 5
Lizzie 4
Lydia 4
Nancy 4
Rose 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 155
William 126
Thomas 92
James 82
George 73
Joseph 68
Charles 46
Robert 38
Henry 33
Arthur 24
Richard 23
Edward 21
Albert 20
Samuel 18
Walter 18
Alfred 16
Benjamin 11
Peter 11
Tom 11
David 8
Fred 8
Frederick 8
Harry 8
Herbert 8
Thos. 8
Edwin 7
Ernest 7
Frank 7
Alexander 6
Isaac 5
Matthew 5
Abraham 4
Christopher 4
Eli 4
Ely 4
Francis 4
Joe 4
Martin 4
Percy 4
Aaron 3
Daniel 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Jno. 3
Mathew 3
Wm. 3
Chas. 2
Horace 2
Joshua 2
Mark 2

FAQ

Furness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Furness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,385 people were recorded with the Furness surname. That placed it at #1,871 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Furness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,999 in 2016. That gives Furness a modern rank of #2,240.

What does the Furness surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Furness, an area in Cumbria, England, or living near a furnace.

What does the Furness map show?

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