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

Furlong, 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 Furlong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Furlong in America

Furlong is the 5158th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Furlong surname appeared 6,783 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Furlong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Furlong 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 Furlong

The surname Furlong is believed to have originated in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "furlang," which referred to a furrow or a long strip of cultivated land. This word was commonly used to describe the length of a field or the distance a team of oxen could plow without resting.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Furlong can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1203, where a person named Robertus Furelong is mentioned. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a John Furlong.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Furlong was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, suggesting that these areas might have been the original homelands of families bearing this name.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is no direct mention of the surname Furlong. However, there are several references to place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as "Forlonga" in Gloucestershire.

One notable individual with the surname Furlong was Sir Thomas Furlong (c. 1590-1658), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 17th century. Another prominent bearer of this name was Sir John Furlong (c. 1625-1689), an English lawyer and politician who held the position of Recorder of London.

In Ireland, the surname Furlong is believed to have been introduced by English settlers during the Norman invasion of the 12th century. One famous Irish figure with this surname was Nicholas Furlong (c. 1686-1749), a Catholic priest and philosopher who played a significant role in the Irish philosophical movement known as the Irish Enlightenment.

Other historical figures with the surname Furlong include Robert Furlong (c. 1670-1724), an English clergyman and author, and William Furlong (1744-1808), an Irish-born British Army officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

While the surname Furlong has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and colonial expansion. However, the historical records and early references suggest that its origins can be traced back to the English countryside and the agricultural communities of the medieval era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Furlong

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

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

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

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