2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Furlin
A surname derived from a European place name or occupational term relating to a furnace or oven.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Furlin. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Furlin 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Furlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Furlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Furlin
The surname Furlin has its origins in Italy, where it first emerged in the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the Latin word "furlanus," which was used to refer to individuals from the region of Friuli, located in northeastern Italy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historic Codice Diplomatico Istriano, a collection of documents dating back to the 13th century. In this collection, a certain Iohannes Furlin is mentioned as a resident of the city of Trieste.
During the Renaissance era, the Furlin family gained prominence in the city of Venice, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable figure from this period was Girolamo Furlin, a renowned painter who lived between 1520 and 1592.
In the 17th century, the Furlin name appeared in the records of the Venetian Republic, particularly in the region of Istria. A prominent member of the family during this time was Giovanni Battista Furlin, a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the city of Capodistria (now Koper, Slovenia).
As the Furlin family spread across Italy and beyond, variations of the name emerged, such as Furlani and Furlanetto. One notable bearer of the latter variant was Antonio Furlanetto, an Italian operatic bass-baritone who gained international acclaim in the late 20th century.
Beyond Italy, the Furlin surname can also be found in other parts of Europe, particularly in countries with historical ties to the Venetian Republic, such as Croatia and Greece. In the 19th century, a Greek painter named Theodoros Furlin achieved recognition for his works depicting scenes from everyday life in the Ionian Islands.
Throughout its history, the Furlin surname has been associated with various professions and accomplishments, from the arts and law to commerce and public service. While not as widespread as some other Italian surnames, it remains a distinctive name with deep roots in the cultural and historical heritage of the Friuli region and the Venetian Republic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Furlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Furlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Furlin 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 Furlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Furlin
Furlin 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-16 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,475 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,852 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 23,475 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 1,852 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 Furlin 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 | #148,347 | #146,495 | 1.2% |
| Count | 111 | 114 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Furlin bearers went from 111 to 114 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 1,852 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #146,495.
FAQ
Furlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Furlin?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Furlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Furlin?
Furlin ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Furlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Furlin.
Has Furlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Furlin went from 111 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Furlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Furlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Furlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Furlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Furlin (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 Furlin mean?
A surname derived from a European place name or occupational term relating to a furnace or oven. 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 Furlin (0.04 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 Furlin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.