NameCensus.

UK surname

Furr

An occupational surname referring to a trader or dealer in animal furs.

In the 1881 census there were 154 people recorded with the Furr surname, ranking it #15,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 298, ranked #14,801, up from #15,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Pirton, Shitlington and Hitchin. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gedling, North Hertfordshire and Luton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Furr is 342 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.5%.

1881 census count

154

Ranked #15,259

Modern count

298

2016, ranked #14,801

Peak year

2002

342 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Furr had 154 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 298 in 2016, ranked #14,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 273 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Furr surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Furr surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Furr 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 153 #12,721
1861 historical 177 #13,265
1881 historical 154 #15,259
1891 historical 249 #12,813
1901 historical 239 #13,489
1911 historical 273 #12,177
1997 modern 327 #12,784
1998 modern 332 #12,990
1999 modern 330 #13,125
2000 modern 340 #12,824
2001 modern 322 #13,098
2002 modern 342 #12,837
2003 modern 334 #12,847
2004 modern 319 #13,342
2005 modern 324 #13,108
2006 modern 312 #13,554
2007 modern 315 #13,593
2008 modern 308 #13,882
2009 modern 323 #13,720
2010 modern 333 #13,717
2011 modern 339 #13,404
2012 modern 315 #14,031
2013 modern 310 #14,403
2014 modern 313 #14,406
2015 modern 307 #14,504
2016 modern 298 #14,801

Geography

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Where Furrs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Pirton, Shitlington, Hitchin, Stevenage and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gedling, North Hertfordshire, Luton and Cornwall. 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 Pirton Hertfordshire
2 Shitlington Bedfordshire
3 Hitchin Hertfordshire
4 Stevenage Hertfordshire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gedling 012 Gedling
2 North Hertfordshire 014 North Hertfordshire
3 North Hertfordshire 005 North Hertfordshire
4 Luton 012 Luton
5 Cornwall 040 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Furr

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Furr

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Furr surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Furr household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Furr is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Furr is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Furr falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Furr is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Furr

The surname "FURR" is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "forhа," which means "fir tree." The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century, referring to someone who lived near a fir forest or worked with fir trees.

In the 13th century, the surname was recorded as "Vurre" in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Westphalia, Germany. The earliest known bearer of the name was Heinrich Vurre, a landowner mentioned in a document dated 1287.

The name "FURR" can also be traced back to various place names in Germany, such as Furrbach and Furrweiler, which likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time. In the 16th century, the name appeared as "Furr" in the parish records of the town of Marburg, in the state of Hesse.

One notable bearer of the surname was Johannes Furr, a German theologian and reformer born in 1495 in Wittenberg. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

In England, the name "FURR" is recorded as early as the 16th century, likely introduced by German immigrants. One of the earliest documented examples is William Furr, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in the Court of Chancery records in 1568.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Furr (1609-1673), an English politician and member of Parliament for Derbyshire. He was known for his support of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

In the United States, the name "FURR" can be traced back to the 18th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Johann Furr, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in 1754.

William Furr (1788-1853) was an American farmer and politician from Virginia, who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in the early 19th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Benjamin Furr (1834-1909), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Furr families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Furr 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. Hertfordshire leads with 58 Furrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.39x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 58 56.39x
Bedfordshire 31 40.12x
Middlesex 29 1.94x
Staffordshire 10 1.99x
Surrey 6 0.83x
Northumberland 5 2.25x
Yorkshire 4 0.27x
Derbyshire 3 1.28x
Kent 2 0.39x
Monmouthshire 2 1.85x
Oxfordshire 2 2.17x
Northamptonshire 1 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 28 Furrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.36x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 28 19.36x
Shillington 22 1929.82x
Hitchin 15 323.28x
Pirton 11 1896.55x
Wolverhampton 10 25.82x
Ickleford 7 2413.79x
East Barnet 6 294.12x
Graveley 6 3157.89x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 19.98x
Stevenage 6 377.36x
Alnwick 5 130.89x
St Ippollitts 4 769.23x
Worsbrough 4 92.38x
Hasland 3 126.05x
Old Warden 3 1200.00x
Shefford 3 545.45x
Aberystruth 2 21.03x
Bedford St Peter 2 99.50x
Bromley 2 25.77x
Charlton On Otmoor 2 740.74x
Hemel Hempstead 2 43.20x
Cople 1 434.78x
Irchester 1 114.94x
Paddington London 1 1.82x
Watford 1 12.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 5
Annie 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Florence 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Martha 2
Adeline 1
Alma 1
Amy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isabel 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Mildred 1
Milly 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Shillah 1
Susan 1
Zephora 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Furr surname: questions and answers

How common was the Furr surname in 1881?

In 1881, 154 people were recorded with the Furr surname. That placed it at #15,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Furr surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 298 in 2016. That gives Furr a modern rank of #14,801.

What does the Furr surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a trader or dealer in animal furs.

What does the Furr map show?

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