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

Furey, 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 Furey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Furey in America

Furey is the 10935th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Furey surname appeared 2,911 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Furey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Furey 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 Furey

The surname FUREY is of Irish origin, with its roots traced back to the ancient Gaelic language. It is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic word 'fuaire', which means 'dark' or 'swarthy', potentially referring to an individual's physical appearance.

The earliest recorded instances of the FUREY surname can be found in historical records from the 16th century in the counties of Leitrim and Roscommon, located in the northwestern part of Ireland. During this period, the name was often spelled as 'Fury', 'Furrie', or 'Furrye', reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those times.

One of the earliest documented references to the FUREY name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. It mentions a certain 'Ferghal O'Furey' who was a renowned poet and scholar in the late 15th century.

In the 18th century, the FUREY surname gained prominence in County Sligo, where a notable figure named Patrick FUREY (1725-1809) was a prominent landlord and member of the Irish gentry. His descendants continued to play an influential role in the region's affairs throughout the 19th century.

Another notable bearer of the FUREY name was John FUREY (1836-1905), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria and played a significant role in the development of the state's education system.

In more recent history, the FUREY surname has been carried by several prominent individuals, including:

1. Finbar FUREY (born 1946), an Irish folk musician and singer-songwriter, known for his work with the band The Fureys.
2. Eddie FUREY (born 1944), Finbar's brother and fellow musician, who was also a member of The Fureys.
3. Paul FUREY (born 1962), an Irish actor best known for his roles in films such as "The Boxer" and "Intermission".
4. Martin FUREY (1963-2021), an Irish hurler who played for the Wexford senior hurling team and won two All-Ireland medals.
5. Siobhan FUREY (born 1983), an Irish writer and poet whose works have been widely published and acclaimed.

While the FUREY surname originated in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic language and the historical regions of Ireland where it first emerged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Furey

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

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 Furey 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 Furey 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 Furey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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