NameCensus.

UK surname

Furnival

A surname derived from a place name meaning "ash tree stream valley".

In the 1881 census there were 528 people recorded with the Furnival surname, ranking it #6,497 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 931, ranked #6,139, up from #6,497 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Muckleston and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme, Shepway and Telford and Wrekin.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Furnival is 985 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.3%.

1881 census count

528

Ranked #6,497

Modern count

931

2016, ranked #6,139

Peak year

2010

985 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Furnival had 528 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,497 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 931 in 2016, ranked #6,139.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 723 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Furnival surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Furnival surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Furnival 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 259 #8,550
1861 historical 290 #8,686
1881 historical 528 #6,497
1891 historical 472 #7,778
1901 historical 662 #6,550
1911 historical 723 #5,920
1997 modern 780 #6,675
1998 modern 939 #5,962
1999 modern 962 #5,895
2000 modern 957 #5,897
2001 modern 925 #5,956
2002 modern 937 #6,003
2003 modern 912 #6,019
2004 modern 930 #5,926
2005 modern 916 #5,944
2006 modern 911 #5,977
2007 modern 908 #6,044
2008 modern 923 #6,018
2009 modern 955 #5,978
2010 modern 985 #5,947
2011 modern 985 #5,888
2012 modern 936 #6,055
2013 modern 939 #6,150
2014 modern 953 #6,112
2015 modern 942 #6,111
2016 modern 931 #6,139

Geography

Back to top

Where Furnivals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Muckleston, Manchester, Foleshill and Newcastle-under Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Shepway, Telford and Wrekin and Halton. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Muckleston Shropshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Foleshill Warwickshire
5 Newcastle-under Lyne Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 016 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Shepway 011 Shepway
3 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme
4 Telford and Wrekin 023 Telford and Wrekin
5 Halton 013 Halton

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Furnival

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Furnival

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Furnival, 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 Furnival surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Furnival 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, Furnival 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

Furnival is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Furnival falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Furnival

The surname Furnival originates from England, emerging in the 11th century during the Norman conquest of Britain. It is derived from the Norman French words "forneau" meaning furnace and "val" meaning valley, suggesting the name may have originally referred to someone residing in a valley near a furnace or forge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fornivallis" and "Furnevall." This suggests the name was already established among the Norman nobility who accompanied William the Conqueror to England.

The Furnival family held lands in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, with their primary seat being at Hallamshire in the latter county. A notable early bearer of the name was Gerard de Furnival, who lived in the late 12th century and served as Lord of Sheffield.

In the 13th century, Thomas de Furnival (c. 1195-1237) was a prominent figure, serving as the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. He was also an active participant in the Barons' War against King John.

Another significant figure was Sir William de Furnival (c. 1310-1383), a renowned knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

During the 15th century, the Furnivals intermarried with the Talbot family, with John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (c. 1387-1453), taking the name Furnival after inheriting the family's estates.

Over the centuries, the name has seen various spellings, including Furnivall, Furnivale, and Furnyvall, reflecting regional dialect variations and evolving orthography.

Other notable bearers of the Furnival name include Sir Henry Furnival (c. 1500-1554), a Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII, and John Furnivall (1809-1857), an English antiquarian and editor of early English literary works.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Furnival families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Furnival 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. Staffordshire leads with 186 Furnivals recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.70x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 186 10.70x
Cheshire 94 8.27x
Lancashire 78 1.28x
Leicestershire 19 3.33x
Middlesex 18 0.35x
Shropshire 16 3.60x
Warwickshire 16 1.23x
Durham 14 0.91x
Gloucestershire 11 1.09x
Kent 10 0.57x
Flintshire 9 6.50x
Surrey 9 0.36x
Hertfordshire 7 1.97x
Yorkshire 7 0.14x
Devon 6 0.56x
Glamorgan 6 0.67x
Montgomeryshire 5 4.24x
Oxfordshire 4 1.26x
Northamptonshire 3 0.62x
Cumberland 2 0.45x
Essex 2 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.29x
Bedfordshire 1 0.38x
Derbyshire 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Wiltshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newcastle Under Lyme in Staffordshire leads with 31 Furnivals recorded in 1881 and an index of 100.78x.

Place Total Index
Newcastle Under Lyme 31 100.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 27 14.65x
Wolstanton 20 37.88x
West Bromwich 15 15.07x
Hutton Henry 14 433.44x
Warrington 14 19.32x
Wolstanton Chesterton 14 157.48x
Foleshill 13 95.10x
Walsall Foreign 13 14.48x
Mucklestone 12 718.56x
Ardwick 11 19.95x
Batherton 11 27500.00x
Lancaster 11 30.25x
Runcorn 11 41.97x
Monks Coppenhall 10 23.31x
Birkenhead 9 9.93x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 9.46x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 9.27x
Islington London 9 1.80x
Muston 9 1636.36x
Wednesfield 9 35.18x
Willenhall 9 27.64x
Wolverhampton 9 6.73x
Odd Rode 8 142.10x
Stapeley 8 754.72x
Fleckney 7 514.71x
Biddulph 6 61.16x
Cardiff St John 6 20.48x
Holywell 6 34.52x
Pendleton In Salford 6 8.24x
Willaston In Nantwich 6 170.94x
Wimbledon 6 21.29x
Worthen 6 126.85x
Madeley 5 115.47x
Welwyn 5 162.87x
Wolborough 5 36.90x
Bampton 4 162.60x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.95x
Droylsden 4 20.06x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 3.85x
Llanerfyl 4 287.77x
Nantwich 4 30.28x
Preston 4 2.45x
Stockport 4 6.84x
Burslem 3 6.02x
Castle Church 3 28.71x
Caverswall 3 33.19x
Cheadle 3 13.82x
Cheswardine 3 157.89x
Congleton 3 15.27x
Everton 3 1.54x
Halton 3 118.11x
Kingston On Thames 3 4.98x
Norton In Hales 3 454.55x
Shifnal 3 24.83x
St Pancras London 3 0.72x
Toxteth Park 3 1.45x
Twemlow 3 1034.48x
Wednesbury 3 6.90x
West Derby 3 1.68x
Woodchurch 3 136.99x
Allostock 2 227.27x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 2 32.84x
Birmingham 2 0.46x
Chatham 2 4.14x
Chelsea London 2 1.29x
Cockermouth 2 21.41x
Leicester St Margaret 2 1.44x
Liverpool 2 0.54x
Loughton 2 39.76x
Marshfield 2 74.07x
Mold 2 15.92x
Sandbach 2 20.62x
Utkinton 2 217.39x
Warkton 2 434.78x
Wolstanton Knutton 2 18.83x
Great Amwell 1 28.09x
Llanymynech 1 114.94x
Openshaw 1 3.49x
Westminster St James 1 1.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Sarah 30
Elizabeth 18
Annie 10
Ellen 9
Fanny 8
Ann 7
Emma 7
Alice 6
Martha 6
Edith 5
Eliza 5
Hannah 5
Lydia 5
Caroline 4
Frances 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Beatrice 3
Florence 3
Gertrude 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Catharine 2
Clara 2
Emily 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Helen 2
Lucy 2
Margret 2
Maria 2
Maud 2
Rosa 2
Susan 2
Anne 1
Anney 1
Carey 1
Carline 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Eleza 1
Eliz. 1
Esther 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Johannah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
Joseph 25
Thomas 21
James 20
John 20
George 17
Henry 14
Charles 7
Edward 6
Samuel 5
Wm. 5
Alfred 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Thos. 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Burton 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Elijha 1
Fergus 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Heber 1
Henery 1
Hy. 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Lepold 1
Louis 1
Maurice 1
Nathan 1
Needham 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Robt. 1
Rowland 1

FAQ

Furnival surname: questions and answers

How common was the Furnival surname in 1881?

In 1881, 528 people were recorded with the Furnival surname. That placed it at #6,497 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Furnival surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 931 in 2016. That gives Furnival a modern rank of #6,139.

What does the Furnival surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name meaning "ash tree stream valley".

What does the Furnival map show?

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