2000
#3,636
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,976
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.33
Uncommon Last name
Furman
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the German word "Fuhrmann," meaning a carter or wagon driver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,066 Americans carry the last name Furman. That puts it at #3,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Furman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Furman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 34,051
Census rank
#3,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,778 bearers of the surname Furman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Furman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Furman
The surname Furman is of Germanic origin and is believed to have been derived from the ancient German word "furman," meaning "carter" or "wagoner." This occupation-based surname likely originated in regions of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages.
In England, the name Furman is first recorded in the 13th century, appearing in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Robert le Furman from Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name had already been established in parts of England by that time, likely brought over by Germanic settlers or traders.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Furman name was Richard Furman, a wealthy merchant who lived in London during the 15th century. He is mentioned in various records, including the city's tax rolls, between 1420 and 1452.
In the 16th century, the Furman surname can be found in various parish records across England, with variations in spelling such as Fureman, Furmane, and Furmon. Notable individuals from this period include John Furman, a landowner in Berkshire, who was born around 1520.
During the 17th century, the Furman name gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest settlers bearing this surname was Edward Furman, who arrived in Massachusetts from England in 1635. He later moved to Long Island, New York, where he became a prominent landowner and founding member of the town of Hempstead.
Another notable figure was Richard Furman (1755-1825), a Baptist minister and educator from Charleston, South Carolina. He played a significant role in the development of the Baptist denomination in the United States and served as the president of the Triennial Convention, a national Baptist organization.
In the 19th century, the Furman name was associated with several influential individuals, including James C. Furman (1809-1891), a prominent judge and politician from South Carolina. He served as the Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives and later became the state's Governor.
Another notable bearer of the Furman surname was Mary Furman (1809-1892), an American educator and philanthropist. She founded the Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, which was named in honor of her family's contributions to the Baptist church and education.
Throughout history, the Furman surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, landowners, ministers, educators, and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany and the Netherlands, the name has become well-established in many parts of the world, particularly in the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Furman
Among Census respondents with the surname Furman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Furman 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 Furman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 7,421
- Black or African American7.7% · 675
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 331
- Two or more races3.1% · 274
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Furman
Furman 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
#3,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,273
+297 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 3.14
Rank movement Down 184 places
2020
#3,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,778
-495 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.94
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,636 | 8,976 | 3.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,820 | 9,273 | 3.14 | +297 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 184 places |
| 2020 | #3,926 | 8,778 | 2.94 | -495 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 106 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 Furman 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 | #3,820 | #3,926 | -2.8% |
| Count | 9,273 | 8,778 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.14 | 2.94 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Furman bearers went from 9,273 to 8,778 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,820 to #3,926.
FAQ
Furman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Furman?
Name Census estimates that about 10,066 living Americans carry the surname Furman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,051 residents.
How common is Furman?
Furman ranks #3,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,778 people with the surname Furman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Furman.
Has Furman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Furman went from 9,273 recorded bearers to 8,778. That is a decrease of 495 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,820 to #3,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Furman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Furman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Furman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (7,421 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Furman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (7.7%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Furman (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 Furman mean?
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the German word "Fuhrmann," meaning a carter or wagon driver. 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 Furman (2.94 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 are called Furman?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Furman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.