Surname Furness - Meaning and Origin

Furness: What does the surname Furness mean?

The last name Furness is from the Old Norse "fornes" meaning "by the ferns". This name was likely given to a family that lived in a region with lots of ferns.

The name Furness is found primarily in England, as the Normans brought the surname with them when they invaded in the 11th century. The name is also found in Ireland and Scotland, where it is believed to have originated.

The Furness family can trace its roots back to the Viking Age. The Normans were descendants of the Vikings and Normans who invaded the British Isles in the 11th century. The Norse language came to England with them, and Furness was a surname that was given to families who lived in regions with plenty of ferns.

The Furness family has a rich history of accomplishments. In the Middle Ages, they owned large estates and held prominent positions. They were also involved in the wool trade and in the Royal Navy. The name is still prevalent in England today, and the family is still well respected throughout the country.

The Furness family is a proud and distinguished one that has been an integral part of British history for centuries. The strong bonds of tradition and heritage are evident in their name, and these bonds stretch across the generations. The Furness family is a living reminder of Britain’s Viking and Norman heritage, and their legacy will continue on for many generations to come.

Furness: Where does the name Furness come from?

The surname Furness is most commonly found in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the UK it is concentrated in North West England, with more than three-quarters of those with the surname Furness living in Lancashire and Cumbria. In the US, the surname Furness is most commonly found in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with over 10,000 people in the United States bearing the Furness surname.

Furness is derived from the old English term 'fornes', meaning oven. It was used to describe people who worked in a bakery or other baking-related establishment. It is believed that the surname spread through migrations of the Anglo-Saxon and Scottish people in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many people with the Furness name have a strong connection to the seaside towns of the North West of England, with many of them having worked in fishing-related industries.

The Furness family is well-known for the philanthropic work of George Furness, a wealthy industrialist who founded the Furness Foundation in 1931. The Foundation, as well as making substantial donations to various charities, was responsible for providing housing, education and medical care to its local community in South Cumbria.

Today, the Furness surname is still commonly used throughout the UK and the US, and the Furness family name is held in high regard in Lancashire and Cumbria for its generous contributions to the community over the years.

Variations of the surname Furness

The surname Furness is derived from an Old English word meaning ‘house’. It is derived from the Middle English word 'furnes' and is a topographic name for someone who lived by or near a house or a building.

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Furness include Furnace, Furness, Furnis, Furnish, Furnessy, Furnisse and Furnesy. It may also be spelled as Fournes, Fournesse, and Fourneyce.

Furness is known to be an English and a Scottish surname, and is derived from a Middle English location. It is also recorded in the North of England, with particular reference to Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Furnace is known to be a derivative of Furness. This variant had its origin in the Warwickshire county and its inhabitants were known to reside in the Furnace neighborhood between the 15th and the 17th centuries.

Furnez is a derivative of Furnes and is among the surnames widely spread in Belgiu. This variant, Furnez, is mainly found in the county of Antwerp.

Furnish is an alternate variant of Furness and is derived from twelfth-century surnames for someone who was the owner of a house.

Furneses is the rarest of all the derivatives of this name and is known to originate from Old English is another variant of the surname Furness.

The name Furnessy is a combination of the surnames Furness and Fourneyce.

Another variant of the surname Furness is Fourneyce which is derived from the French word ‘fournier’, which means furnace. This surname is mainly found in the South of England and in the Channel Islands.

It is important to note that despite the many different variants of the name, all of these surnames are of the same origin – Old English.

Famous people with the name Furness

• Carol Ann Susi (1952–2014): American actress best known for her role as the voice of Mrs Wolowitz in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
• Vesta Tilley (1864–1952): English male impersonator, popular in both music hall and variety theatre.
• Wafaa El-Sadr (born 1958): American global health physician and epidemiologist.
• Bronson Pinchot (born 1959): American actor, known for his role as Balki Bartokomous in the ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers.
• Arthur Furness (1842–1919): English actor, known for roles in The School for Scandal and The Way of the World.
• Basil Furness (1868–1944): English architect.
• Sarah Furness (born 1948): British actress.
• John Furness (1935–2016): American neuroscientist.
• Henry Furness (1840–1885): English painter.
• David Furness (born 1932): British zoologist.
• Johnzie Furness (1939–1998): American television director and producer.

Other surnames

FurneauFurnes