2000
#14,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,923
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Furrow
An occupational surname referring to a person who plows or works with furrows in the earth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,241 Americans carry the last name Furrow. That puts it at #14,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Furrow 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
2.2K
1 in 152,947
Census rank
#14,628
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,954 bearers of the surname Furrow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Furrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Furrow
The surname Furrow is believed to have originated in England and first appeared in historical records around the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "furh," which means a small trench or furrow used for planting crops. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on furrows of land.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Furrow is found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, where it is spelled "Furwe." This document was a census of landowners and their holdings, suggesting that the Furrow family may have been landowners or farmers during this time.
In the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, the name is spelled "Forowe," indicating variations in the spelling during the Middle Ages. These records were used to collect taxes, providing insight into the distribution of the Furrow surname across different regions of England.
The Furrow name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1428, which were legal documents recording land transfers and agreements. This suggests that the Furrow family continued to be associated with agricultural activities and land ownership in the 15th century.
One notable bearer of the Furrow surname was John Furrow (c. 1560-1633), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Purleigh in Essex. His work, "A Treatise on the Sabbath," published in 1622, discussed the historical and theological significance of the Sabbath day.
Another prominent figure with the Furrow name was William Furrow (1629-1692), an English merchant and member of the East India Company. He played a significant role in the company's trade activities in Asia and contributed to the expansion of British interests in the region.
In the 18th century, Thomas Furrow (1710-1778) was a notable agricultural writer and advocate for improving farming practices. His book, "The Farmer's Guide," published in 1755, offered practical advice on crop cultivation, livestock management, and other aspects of rural life.
The Furrow surname also found its way to the American colonies, with records showing that a John Furrow (1675-1742) was among the early settlers in Virginia. He established a successful farm and became a respected member of the local community.
One of the most renowned bearers of the Furrow name was James Furrow (1810-1891), a British architect and civil engineer. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Alexandra Palace, which are still celebrated for their architectural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Furrow
Among Census respondents with the surname Furrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Furrow 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 Furrow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 1,781
- Two or more races3.9% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 62
- Black or African American1.0% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Furrow
Furrow 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
#15,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,964
+41 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 755 places
2020
#14,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,954
-10 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 415 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,288 | 1,923 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,043 | 1,964 | 0.67 | +41 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 755 places |
| 2020 | #14,628 | 1,954 | 0.65 | -10 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 415 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 Furrow 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 | #15,043 | #14,628 | 2.8% |
| Count | 1,964 | 1,954 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.65 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Furrow bearers went from 1,964 to 1,954 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 415 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,043 to #14,628.
FAQ
Furrow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Furrow?
Name Census estimates that about 2,241 living Americans carry the surname Furrow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,947 residents.
How common is Furrow?
Furrow ranks #14,628 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,954 people with the surname Furrow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Furrow.
Has Furrow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Furrow went from 1,964 recorded bearers to 1,954. That is a decrease of 10 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,043 to #14,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Furrow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Furrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Furrow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (1,781 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Furrow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Furrow (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 Furrow mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who plows or works with furrows in the earth. 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 Furrow (0.65 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 Furrow?
You can see how many people are called Furrow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.