Explore the Family Name Furness
The meaning of Furness
1. English: habitational name from the district on the south coast of Cumbria (formerly in Lancashire), earlier Futharnes, so named from the genitive case (Futhar) of Old Norse Futh, meaning ‘rump’, the name of the peninsula, formerly of an island opposite the southern part of this district + Old Norse nes ‘headland, nose’. 2. English (of Norman origin): occasionally perhaps a variant of Furneaux (see Furnace 2). The two names were sometimes confused. 3. Norwegian: old variant of Furnes (and, in North America, probably also an altered form of this), a habitational name from any of various farms, particularly in Møre og Romsdal, named Furnes, from Old Norse fura ‘pine’ + nes ‘headland’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Furness in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Furness has increased in the last decade. In 2000, it ranked 15670 in popularity, but by 2010, its ranking improved to 13764, marking a 12.16% change. The count of people bearing this surname also saw a significant increase from 1712 in 2000 to 2198 in 2010, signifying a 28.39% rise. This upward trend in the number of people named Furness led to a proportion per 100k increase from 0.63 in 2000 to 0.75 in 2010, indicating a 19.05% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,670 | #13,764 | 12.16% |
| Count | 1,712 | 2,198 | 28.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.63 | 0.75 | 19.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Furness
Discussing the ethnicity breakdown, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts in the ethnic identity related to the Furness surname between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (93.57% in 2000 to 92.13% in 2010), there was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.23% in 2000 to 2.37% in 2010, which is a significant change of 92.68%. The percentage of those identifying as Black also rose slightly, from 2.57% to 2.87%. Notably, no data was available for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories in 2000, but by 2010, these groups represented 0.59% and 0.36% of Furness bearers respectively. The category of two or more races saw a slight decrease from 1.81% in 2000 to 1.68% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.57% | 92.13% | -1.54% |
| Black | 2.57% | 2.87% | 11.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.23% | 2.37% | 92.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.81% | 1.68% | -7.18% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.59% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.36% | 0% |