UK surname
An English surname derived from a location called Furney or meaning someone who lived near a furrow or furze (gorse) bushes.
In the 1881 census there were 84 people recorded with the Furney surname, ranking it #21,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 35, ranked #35,703, down from #21,690 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Monmouth, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Furney is 188 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 58.3%.
1881 census count
84
Ranked #21,690
Modern count
35
2016, ranked #35,703
Peak year
1861
188 bearers
Map years
3
1861 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Furney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Furney surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 76 | #20,127 |
| 1861 | historical | 188 | #12,628 |
| 1881 | historical | 84 | #21,690 |
| 1891 | historical | 157 | #17,778 |
| 1901 | historical | 88 | #24,270 |
| 1911 | historical | 104 | #22,209 |
| 1997 | modern | 36 | #34,071 |
| 1998 | modern | 34 | #34,433 |
| 1999 | modern | 34 | #34,528 |
| 2000 | modern | 30 | #34,885 |
| 2001 | modern | 29 | #34,839 |
| 2002 | modern | 30 | #34,950 |
| 2003 | modern | 25 | #35,471 |
| 2004 | modern | 23 | #35,786 |
| 2005 | modern | 20 | #36,165 |
| 2006 | modern | 19 | #36,323 |
| 2007 | modern | 21 | #36,290 |
| 2008 | modern | 23 | #36,211 |
| 2009 | modern | 29 | #35,922 |
| 2010 | modern | 24 | #36,341 |
| 2011 | modern | 25 | #36,252 |
| 2012 | modern | 34 | #35,711 |
| 2013 | modern | 33 | #35,808 |
| 2014 | modern | 32 | #35,896 |
| 2015 | modern | 34 | #35,756 |
| 2016 | modern | 35 | #35,703 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Monmouth, London parishes, St Pancras, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monmouth | Monmouthshire |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Furney surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Furney, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Furney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Furney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Furney is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Furney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Furney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Furney originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old Gaelic words "foir" meaning "leader" and "naidh" meaning "born", suggesting it may have referred to the firstborn son of a chieftain or landowner. The earliest recorded spelling was Fournay, found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1296.
The name is also associated with the lands of Fournays in Angus, Scotland, where a family of this name held estates from the 13th century onward. Records show a William de Fournays witnessed a charter by King David II in 1364. By the 15th century, the spelling had evolved to the modern Furney.
One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was John Furney, a merchant and burgess of Aberdeen in the late 1400s. He is mentioned in the Burgh Records of Aberdeen in 1487. Another early bearer was Robert Furney, a notary public in Edinburgh whose name appears in the Protocol Book of John Foular in 1515.
During the 16th century, the Furneys were an influential family in the Scottish Borders region. Prominent members included William Furney (c.1520-1585), a landowner and Justice of the Peace in Roxburghshire, and his son James Furney (1558-1632), a lawyer and Clerk of the Privy Council.
In the 17th century, John Furney (1620-1687) was a Church of Scotland minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1677. He played a role in the religious conflicts of the era. Another notable figure was Alexander Furney (1638-1701), a merchant and Baillie (municipal officer) in Glasgow.
The surname also has a long history in Ireland, likely introduced by Scottish settlers. Examples include Robert Furney (1755-1831), an Irish politician who represented County Westmeath in the Irish Parliament, and Francis Furney (1807-1876), a Catholic priest and writer on Irish history from County Louth.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Furney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 21 Furneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 21 | 2.16x |
| Monmouthshire | 15 | 25.33x |
| Warwickshire | 15 | 7.26x |
| Middlesex | 11 | 1.34x |
| Worcestershire | 7 | 6.54x |
| Glamorgan | 4 | 2.80x |
| Surrey | 4 | 1.00x |
| Staffordshire | 3 | 1.08x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.25x |
| Kent | 1 | 0.36x |
| Somerset | 1 | 0.76x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Monmouth in Monmouthshire leads with 15 Furneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 955.41x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Monmouth | 15 | 955.41x |
| Newton | 9 | 120.16x |
| Tottenham | 9 | 68.97x |
| Birmingham | 8 | 11.62x |
| Aston | 7 | 12.31x |
| Stourbridge | 7 | 254.55x |
| West Derby | 6 | 21.10x |
| Cardiff St Mary | 4 | 50.89x |
| Manchester | 4 | 9.15x |
| Newington | 4 | 13.22x |
| Kingswinford | 3 | 29.88x |
| Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe | 2 | 53.05x |
| Broughton In Salford | 1 | 11.25x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 2.20x |
| Radcliffe | 1 | 21.32x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 1.52x |
| Swanscombe | 1 | 79.37x |
| Yeovil | 1 | 37.31x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Furney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Furney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Furney households.
FAQ
In 1881, 84 people were recorded with the Furney surname. That placed it at #21,690 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 35 in 2016. That gives Furney a modern rank of #35,703.
An English surname derived from a location called Furney or meaning someone who lived near a furrow or furze (gorse) bushes.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Furney bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.