Surname Furman - Meaning and Origin

iGENEA DNA Test: A Voyage Deeper into My Ancestral Past and Furman Surname

Intrigued by familial history and my family’s surname, Furman, I decided to undertake the iGENEA DNA test. The insights gathered were not only monumental but served as compass bearing to my multicultural roots, reshaping my understanding of our surname and collective identity.

U. Furman

Furman: What does the surname Furman mean?

The last name Furman is of Jewish origin, having first been found in German-speaking lands, most often in the south. The name is derived from the Middle High German term 'Fuhrmann', meaning 'wagoner' or 'cart-driver'. This indicates that those bearing the name were likely employed in the transportation of goods via horse-drawn carts or wagons.

In the Medieval era, this would have been an important profession, with goods such as mail, food, and even weapons being moved by those who had the skill and knowledge of horsemanship and the necessary tools and equipment to transport such goods.

The name Furman has become very popular among Ashkenazi Jews living in various countries, especially in the United States. In addition, many Jews have adopted the name within the United States as a form of Americanization, saying they are more likely to be accepted in the society with an 'Americanized' name.

Furman is not a rampant surname, but those who carry it are likely to be descendants of the same line of individuals with this last name who date back to at least the medieval era. The qualities of this name represent hard work, resourcefulness, and loyalty in the tradition of the ancient wagoners and cart-drivers.

Furman: Where does the name Furman come from?

Furman is a surname of Old German origin and can today be found in multiple countries throughout the world, such as the United States, Germany, Israel, and even countries in Africa.

In the United States, Furman is a relatively common surname with handles anywhere from .122 to 1.9 people per 1000 having the surname in some places in the country. In the state of Oregon alone, an estimated 3,053 people carry the Furman surname.

In Germany, Furman is much more widespread with around 18,000 people carrying the name across the country. The largest concentration of the surname is located in Bavaria. However, due to migration from Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries, the name can also be found in countries outside of Germany.

In Israel, Furman is becoming an increasingly more popular surname. In 2005, there were over 600 immigrants to Israel with the last surname Furman. Also, countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway, and even South Africa all report people carrying the Furman surname.

Overall, the Furman surname has spread to numerous countries and continues to gain popularity, however the largest concentrations of the name are still in the United States and Germany.

Variations of the surname Furman

The surname Furman has its origin as a Germanic personal name composed of two parts, furi, which means “furrows” and man, a suffix to denote an adult male. This surname is “an occupational name for a person who lived near or tended a furrow.” Furman is also sometimes spelled as Firmen, Fuhrman, Furtman, and Furmann.

The variants for Furman include Furhman, Furmas, Furmaz, Firmun, Furmine, Furmaw, Fuhrm, Fuhrmann, Fuhrmant, Fremann, Firmun, Fermon, Firman, Fremin, Fermann, Fuhrmand, Fierman, Fehrenman, and Furnman.

There are several different spellings of Furman around the world, but some of the most common are Furmann, Fuhrmann, and Fierman. In some parts of Europe, Furman is also known as Firmun, Fermon, Firmes, Fuhrmand, Fortun, Fremann, Furmins, and Furminsby.

Surnames with the same origin as Furman are Fremin, Fermann, Peeler, Fowler, Lerman, Fuhrman, Furkas, Fuhrmant, and Furrow. These surnames all denote a person’s occupation, whether as a farmer, furrier, or furrow tenderer.

Furman is an ancient surname, with members of the family being found as far back as 1450 in the town of Breslau, Germany. It is a popular surname in Europe and the United States today, although it may have evolved from different spellings over the centuries.

Famous people with the name Furman

• Benjamin Furman: a Polish-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst.
• Efim Furman: a Soviet film director and screenwriter.
• Martin S. Furman: the first Chief Rabbi of Minsk, Belarus.
• Alan Furman: an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, leader of the Telshe yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Palma Furman: an Argentine painter, historian, and teacher.
• Seymour Furman: the first Jew to serve in a Massachusetts state cabinet.
• Bertha Furman: a pioneering teacher and Jewish communal worker in the United States.
• Fundance Furman: an American gymnast who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
• Jakob Furman: an American architect and builder who founded Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
• Joseph Furman: an American rabbi who co-founded the Orthodox Jewish congregation of Degel Israel in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Aaron Furman: a Russian-born cantor and composer of Jewish liturgical music.
• Matt Furman: a professional American basketball player and Olympic gold medalist.
• Mendel Furman: a Soviet politician, people's commissar of justice of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
• Shifrah Furman: a Jewish folklorist, singer, and Yiddish dialectivist.
• Sol Furman: the cantor at Beth-El Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1968 until his death in 2003.
• Boris Furman: an Uzbekistani classical pianist, conductor, and composer.
• Ohad Furman: a conservative rabbi and the current executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America.

Other surnames

Furmanczyk