Surname Furnis - Meaning and Origin

Furnis: What does the surname Furnis mean?

The last name Furnis most likely comes from a place name, as surnames were usually derived from the place where someone was born or lived. Furnis is a village in York, England and has origins from the Old Norse name Furincross meaning "cross on a marshy plain".

The village of Furnis is located in the Netherthong area of West Yorkshire, near the River Holme. It is a small, rural village offering magnificent panoramic views across the Yorkshire countryside.

The surname Furnis is typically associated with the local furniture industry that developed in the area during the Victorian period, and many families that bore the Furnis name would have been involved in the industry. The Furnis family also had numerous members in the area until the new industries and manufacturing centers began to develop in the 19th century.

The Furnis surname is also quite unique, since the numbers of people who bear that name have dwindled significantly in recent years. Although the numbers are few, those who carry the Furnis name are proud of their unique heritage, and are linked to a beautiful village that lies in the North Yorkshire Moors.

Furnis: Where does the name Furnis come from?

Furnis is a surname with uncertain origins. It is likely of French origin and was brought to Britain in medieval times by the Norman invaders who ruled England after the 1066 Battle of Hastings. Today, Furnis is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. It is particularly concentrated in the English county of Cornwall, though it can also be found in other regions.

In the United States, the surname is much less common. In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded only 122 occurrences of the surname, distributed throughout Colorado, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and other states. The highest concentration of Furnis was in Delaware.

Furnis is also known in some parts of Canada, especially in Newfoundland and Labrador. As in the United States, the numbers are quite small. The 2016 Census revealed only 7 occurrences of the Furnis name.

Thanks to the Internet and various websites, many descendants of the Furnis surname have been able to reconnect with their family heritage. A number of databases, such as Brits-Roots and the National Genealogical Society, trace the family lines using old records and documents. The Furnis name continues to live on in these records, despite its relative rarity today.

Variations of the surname Furnis

The surname Furnis is derived from an ancient Anglo-Saxon name. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include:

Furnes, Furness, Furnese, Furnys, Furniss, Furneiss, Furnyse, Furnisse, Furneise, Furnyss, Furnysse, Furneisse and Furnyce.

Furnis is believed to have come from Old German (Germanic) origin meaning ‘furnace’ or ‘oven’, or from an old English word ‘fyrne’ which means corner or bench in a church.

The earliest record of the Furnis surname dates back to 1212 in England, when Ernulfe de Furneis was recorded. Also in the same year, John de Furneyse was mentioned in Lincolnshire.

The earliest Furnis related emigration were in the mid-1700s from England to the U.S., beginning with the emigration of widowed mother Mary Furnis, followed by her sons, James and John Furnis, and then by husband Andrew Furnis and the family’s four girls.

The name Furnis is common amongst some of the regions of England, including Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and a few other counties. The name is not so common in other countries.

The variants of the name have been present in British Isles for many centuries and still continue to be used, as well as the furnished version, which is occasionally used both in Britain and the US.

Famous people with the name Furnis

• Ryan Furnis, singer-songwriter
• Lera Furnis, actress and voice artist
• Christopher Furnis, landscape photographer
• Bruce Furnis, triathlete and endurance racer
• Caleb Furnis, National Football League (NFL) player
• Austin Furnis, professional Rugby Union player
• Diego Furnis, motorcycle racer
• Michael Furnis, Associate Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court
• David Furnis, Real Estate Investor
• Mollie Furnis, social media influencer and YouTuber

Other surnames

Furniss