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Furness Family History

Furness Name Meaning

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’. English (of Norman origin): occasionally perhaps a variant of Furneaux (see Furnace ). The two names were sometimes confused. 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’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Urness, Fornes, Garness, Burtness, Fodness, Fadness, Farnes, Harness

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Furness family from?

You can see how Furness families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Furness family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Furness families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 748 Furness families living in Yorkshire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Furness's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Furness families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Furness surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Furness ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Furness. 9% of Furness men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Furness women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Furness were Dairy Farmer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Furness | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Furness family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 61,000 census records available for the last name Furness. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Furness census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Furness

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Furness. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Furness immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Furness. For the veterans among your Furness ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Furness military records

You've only scratched the surface of Furness family history

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What is the average Furness lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Furness life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1969. The average life expectancy for Furness in 1944 was 60, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Furness

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