NameCensus.

UK surname

Furse

An English surname derived from the Old English word "fyrs" meaning furze or gorse bushes.

In the 1881 census there were 442 people recorded with the Furse surname, ranking it #7,414 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 499, ranked #9,997, down from #7,414 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mevagissey, London parishes and St Columb Minor. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Furse is 601 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.9%.

1881 census count

442

Ranked #7,414

Modern count

499

2016, ranked #9,997

Peak year

1911

601 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Furse had 442 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,414 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 499 in 2016, ranked #9,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 601 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Furse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Furse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Furse 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 381 #6,272
1861 historical 245 #10,057
1881 historical 442 #7,414
1891 historical 469 #7,813
1901 historical 563 #7,409
1911 historical 601 #6,832
1997 modern 572 #8,424
1998 modern 600 #8,397
1999 modern 582 #8,615
2000 modern 586 #8,542
2001 modern 572 #8,561
2002 modern 569 #8,751
2003 modern 537 #8,997
2004 modern 532 #9,083
2005 modern 528 #9,081
2006 modern 515 #9,277
2007 modern 504 #9,508
2008 modern 511 #9,485
2009 modern 518 #9,588
2010 modern 515 #9,821
2011 modern 503 #9,908
2012 modern 503 #9,819
2013 modern 510 #9,871
2014 modern 499 #10,090
2015 modern 502 #9,972
2016 modern 499 #9,997

Geography

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Where Furses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mevagissey, London parishes, St Columb Minor, Molton, South and Woodbury, Aylesbeare. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge 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 Mevagissey Cornwall
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Columb Minor Cornwall
4 Molton, South Devon
5 Woodbury, Aylesbeare Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 008 Torridge
2 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 002 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
5 Torridge 009 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Furse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Furse

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

Furse 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

Furse falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Furse

The surname Furse originated in England and is of medieval English origin. The name is derived from the Old English words "fyrst" or "furst," meaning a wooded hill or forest. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely resided near or on a prominent wooded hill or in a forested area.

Furse is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset in the southwest of England during the late 12th or early 13th century. Early variations of the spelling included Furst, Furshill, Forshill, and Forsehill, reflecting the regional dialects of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Somerset, dated 1268, which mentions a John Furst. The Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327 also list a Walter Furs, indicating the name's presence in the region during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in the parish records of Taunton, Somerset, with the baptism of John Furse in 1546. Another early record is the marriage of Richard Furse and Johane Horte in the parish of Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset, in 1572.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Furse include Sir Henry Furse (1629-1712), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament for Plymouth in the late 17th century. John Furse (1788-1858) was an English painter and engraver known for his landscape and marine paintings.

Ralph Furse (1887-1973) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of British Somaliland from 1943 to 1949. His son, Sir Roger Furse (1920-2001), was a distinguished British diplomat and ambassador to several countries, including Japan and West Germany.

Another notable figure was Dame Katharine Furse (1875-1952), a pioneering British nurse and philanthropist who served as the first Director of the World's Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) from 1920 to 1935.

While the surname Furse is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to medieval times, with its origins deeply rooted in the English countryside and the early development of surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Furse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Furse 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 194 Furses recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.62x.

County Total Index
Devon 194 21.62x
Cornwall 119 24.38x
Middlesex 42 0.97x
Norfolk 29 4.37x
Glamorgan 16 2.13x
Surrey 9 0.43x
Essex 8 0.94x
Oxfordshire 7 2.63x
Lancashire 4 0.08x
Gloucestershire 3 0.35x
Sussex 3 0.41x
Kent 2 0.14x
Somerset 2 0.29x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.38x
Hertfordshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mevagissey in Cornwall leads with 71 Furses recorded in 1881 and an index of 2191.36x.

Place Total Index
Mevagissey 71 2191.36x
Plymouth St Andrew 16 23.14x
Islington London 15 3.59x
Exeter St Thomas The 11 120.22x
Pilton 11 371.62x
Stoke Damerel 11 17.51x
Wolborough 11 96.92x
Woodbury 11 413.53x
Great Torrington 10 196.46x
Lakenham 10 106.16x
Heigham 9 25.30x
St Columb Minor 9 219.51x
Tiverton 9 58.21x
Callington 8 281.69x
Okehampton 8 236.69x
St Pancras London 8 2.31x
West Ham 8 4.26x
Cardiff St Mary 7 16.93x
Cuddesdon 7 958.90x
Kensington London 7 2.92x
Langtree 7 642.20x
Mylor 7 214.07x
Sourton 7 921.05x
South Molton 7 141.99x
Bermondsey 6 4.67x
Bickington 6 1714.29x
Exeter St Mary Steps 6 297.03x
Jacobstow 6 952.38x
Plymouth Charles The 6 15.17x
St Austell 6 35.95x
Tormoham 6 15.80x
Boyton 5 4166.67x
Llandaff 5 20.02x
Shoreditch London 5 2.68x
Holsworthy 4 158.10x
Launcells 4 487.80x
Llansamlet Lower 4 58.82x
Shebbear 4 296.30x
St Cleer 4 94.56x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 3.77x
Chittlehampton 3 135.75x
Hartland 3 107.53x
Manchester 3 1.30x
Norwich St Augustine 3 112.36x
Norwich St George Colegate 3 124.48x
Norwich St George Tombland 3 256.41x
St Ann Blackfriars London 3 375.00x
Berry Pomeroy 2 134.23x
Bishopsteignton 2 117.65x
Brighton 2 1.36x
Bromley London 2 2.11x
Camberwell 2 0.73x
Clist St George 2 512.82x
East Stonehouse 2 11.31x
Exeter St Kerrian 2 317.46x
Highweek 2 62.50x
Lympston 2 125.00x
Poundstock 2 259.74x
Sutcombe 2 327.87x
West Teignmouth 2 29.11x
Addington 1 256.41x
Awliscombe 1 126.58x
Burrington 1 87.72x
Devonport 1 9.70x
East Grinstead 1 9.72x
East Teignmouth 1 27.25x
Eton 1 16.92x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 4.87x
Great Amwell 1 33.56x
Great Crosby 1 7.17x
Hackney London 1 0.41x
Ilfracombe 1 10.82x
Kimberworth 1 4.22x
Lambeth 1 0.27x
Norwich St Martin At 1 89.29x
Poltimore 1 232.56x
Sowerby In Halifax 1 7.16x
St Ewe 1 67.57x
St Giles In The Wood 1 74.63x
Virginstow 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Elizabeth 16
Emily 11
Emma 11
Eliza 9
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Ann 8
Ellen 8
Louisa 8
Susan 7
Annie 6
Bessie 5
Catherine 5
Maria 5
Martha 4
Beatrice 3
Charlotte 3
Lucy 3
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Carrie 2
Catharine 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Phillippa 2
Rebecca 2
Bessey 1
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Charity 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Emmie 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Kathleen 1
Letitia 1
Leura 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Louis 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 48
John 22
James 12
Joseph 10
Thomas 10
Samuel 9
Arthur 7
Henry 7
George 6
Richard 5
Robert 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Edwin 3
Harry 3
Peter 3
Walter 3
Bartholomew 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Josiah 2
Martin 2
Owen 2
Wm. 2
A.E.Patrick 1
Aldridge 1
Augustus 1
Chas.W. 1
Christopher 1
Cornelius 1
David 1
Eli 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Israel 1
Nathaniel 1
Nelson 1
Octavius 1
Paul 1
Philip 1
Reuben 1
Samuell 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
W.John 1
Wm.H. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Furse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Furse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 442 people were recorded with the Furse surname. That placed it at #7,414 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Furse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 499 in 2016. That gives Furse a modern rank of #9,997.

What does the Furse surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "fyrs" meaning furze or gorse bushes.

What does the Furse map show?

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