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

Furtney, 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 Furtney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Furtney in America

Furtney is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Furtney surname appeared 189 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Furtney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Furtney 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 Furtney

The surname FURTNEY is believed to have originated in the English counties of Somerset and Devon during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has changed significantly over time. Some language experts suggest the name may be related to the Old English words "fyrhþ" meaning forest or wood, and "næs" meaning headland or promontory, potentially indicating the name's origins in a wooded area near a coastal cliff or promontory.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the FURTNEY surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, which mention a John de Furteneye. This suggests the surname had already been established in that region by the early 14th century. Another early reference is found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Devonshire in 1332, where a Thomas Forteneye is listed.

In the 16th century, the FURTNEY surname appears in various parish records across Somerset and Devon. Notable examples include the baptism of Alice FURTNEY in Taunton, Somerset in 1592, and the marriage of John FURTNEY and Johane Chubbe in South Molton, Devon in 1597.

While not a particularly common surname, several noteworthy individuals have borne the FURTNEY name throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Richard FURTNEY (c.1580-1646), a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the English Civil War who supported the Parliamentarian cause. Another was Captain John FURTNEY (1625-1691), an English naval officer who served under Admiral Sir Edward Spragge during the Anglo-Dutch Wars.

In the 18th century, the FURTNEY family produced several clergymen, including Reverend Thomas FURTNEY (1712-1778), who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Bridgwater, Somerset for over 40 years. His son, also named Thomas FURTNEY (1745-1819), followed in his footsteps and became the rector of Stockland Bristol in Devon.

More recently, Major General Sir George FURTNEY (1857-1932) was a highly decorated British Army officer who served in the Second Boer War and World War I, receiving the Distinguished Service Order and the Order of the Bath for his military service.

While the FURTNEY surname may have originated in the southwestern counties of England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who emigrated over the centuries. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in Somerset and Devon, where it likely originated as a locational surname reflecting the region's geography and landscape.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Furtney

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

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

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

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