2000
#32,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 663
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Furlan
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "furlanus" meaning someone from Friuli, a region in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 855 Americans carry the last name Furlan. That puts it at #32,948 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 400,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Furlan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
855
1 in 400,882
Census rank
#32,948
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
746
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 746 bearers of the surname Furlan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32948th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Furlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Furlan
The surname Furlan originated in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy, which borders Austria and Slovenia. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Latin word "foris," meaning "outside," and is related to the Italian word "foraneo," which refers to someone from outside a particular area or community.
Furlan is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive surname for individuals who had moved to a new location from another region or village. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from the city of Udine, dated 1286, which mentions a certain "Petrus Furlan."
During the Renaissance period, the Furlan surname gained prominence in the Venetian Republic, particularly in the cities of Venice and Trieste. Notable individuals bearing this name include Girolamo Furlan (1536-1610), a renowned painter and architect from Udine, and Jacopo Furlan (1620-1692), a Venetian merchant and diplomat who served as the Republic's ambassador to Constantinople.
In the 17th century, the Furlan family established itself as a respected lineage in the region, with several members holding important positions in the local government and clergy. One such figure was Gaspare Furlan (1688-1768), who served as the Bishop of Udine from 1729 until his death.
As the centuries passed, the Furlan surname spread beyond the borders of Italy, with individuals bearing this name settling in various parts of Europe and the Americas. Francesco Furlan (1839-1918), an Italian-born artist and sculptor, gained recognition for his works in the United States, where he spent a significant portion of his career.
Another notable figure was Vittorio Furlan (1896-1969), an Italian-American businessman and philanthropist born in Trieste. He established the Furlan Foundation, which supported various charitable causes, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.
Overall, the surname Furlan has a rich history rooted in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, with a legacy that spans centuries and encompasses individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, clergy members, merchants, and philanthropists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Furlan
Among Census respondents with the surname Furlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Furlan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Furlan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 582
- Hispanic or Latino17.3% · 129
- Two or more races2.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 9
- Black or African American0.8% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Furlan
Furlan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#32,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 702
+39 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 58 places
2020
#32,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 746
+44 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 238 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,652 | 663 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,710 | 702 | 0.24 | +39 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 58 places |
| 2020 | #32,948 | 746 | 0.25 | +44 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 238 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Furlan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,710 | #32,948 | -0.7% |
| Count | 702 | 746 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.25 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Furlan bearers went from 702 to 746 (+6.3% change). The surname moved down 238 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,710 to #32,948.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Furlan
FAQ
Furlan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Furlan?
Name Census estimates that about 855 living Americans carry the surname Furlan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 400,882 residents.
How common is Furlan?
Furlan ranks #32,948 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 746 people with the surname Furlan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (855), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Furlan.
Has Furlan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Furlan went from 702 recorded bearers to 746. That is an increase of 44 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,710 to #32,948.
What does the Census say about the background of Furlan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Furlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Furlan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (582 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Furlan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.0%), Hispanic (17.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Furlan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Furlan mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "furlanus" meaning someone from Friuli, a region in Italy. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Furlan (0.25 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Furlan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.