Find out how popular the last name Furbish is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Furbish.

Furbish, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Furbish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Furbish in America

Furbish is the 70403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Furbish surname appeared 278 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Furbish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Furbish to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Furbish

The surname Furbish is an English name with origins dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "furbyschen," which means "to polish or burnish." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in metalworking or a related trade that required the polishing or finishing of metal objects.

The name Furbish was particularly prevalent in the counties of Kent, Essex, and Suffolk in England during the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Furbyssh is listed.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Furbissher, Furbusher, and Furbusher, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mentions a William Furbissur in Oxfordshire.

During the Tudor period, the name Furbish gained prominence, and several notable individuals bore this surname. Sir William Furbish (1500-1567) was a prominent courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was John Furbish (1520-1592), a renowned clockmaker from London whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility.

The Furbish surname also found its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Thomas Furbish, who was born in England in 1625 and settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, the Furbish family established themselves in New England, with several members making significant contributions to their communities. Nathaniel Furbish (1725-1798) was a prominent farmer and landowner in Maine, while his son, Benjamin Furbish (1755-1832), served as a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Another notable individual was Sarah Furbish (1805-1892), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Maine. She made significant contributions to the study of the flora of the northeastern United States and was recognized for her extensive collection of plant specimens.

As the centuries passed, the Furbish surname continued to spread across various regions of the United States and beyond, with descendants making their mark in various fields, from science and academia to business and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Furbish

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Furbish.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Furbish was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Furbish has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Furbish was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Furbish, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!