ORIGINS OF THE
FURR SURNAME
There are many theories regarding the origin or source of the Furr
surname. Most likely, each of these theories have some amount of
truth in them since the Furr surname, at least in the United States, is used by
more than one, apparently unrelated, family line. Researchers need
to be careful since there are several companies offering Family Histories,
Scrolls, and other documents purporting to be the only true Furr history or
source.
Web sites about the Furr surname include:
In his book, History of the Widenhouse, Furr, Dry,
Stallings, Teeter, and Tucker Families (Greensboro, North
Carolina: privately published, 1950), Rev. William Thomas Albright
states the following. "This surname has many variants, such as
Farr, Far, Fare, etc. Some authorities claim the name is an English and
Welsh surname signifying a traveler: ‘one who journeys from place to
place’, taken from the word (farran) meaning to go
forth). [sic] Farr or Furr may in some
cases, be derived from Efar, an ancient English
personal name denoting a ‘boar’, figgratively [sic]
speaking meaning a courageous or a brave person. Furr may in some
cases be associated in origin with the surname (Fair), meaning a person of a
light complexion."
According to a “Halberts” [not the most reliable and
trusted of sources] extract, “the surname Furr appears to be characteristic in
origin, and is believed to be associated with the Germans, meaning, ‘a leader
of a guide.”
"The Surnames of Scotland:
Their Origin, Meaning and History" by George F. Black - This book provides
a comprehensive account of Scottish surnames, including Furr. According to the
book, Furr is a variant of the Scottish surname Forrester, which means
"keeper of the forest." It also notes that Furr may be a variant of
the English surname Farr, which is derived from the Old English word "fær," meaning "journey."
"Dictionary of American Family Names" by Patrick Hanks - This
book provides information on the origin and distribution of surnames in the United States,
including Furr. According to the book, Furr is a variant of the English surname
Farr, which is derived from the Middle English word "far," meaning
"journey." The book also notes that the Furr surname is most commonly
found in the southeastern United
States.
The Hall of Names International Inc. claims "The 'Furr' family name
originated in Kent, located
in England.
This was documented and authenticated by our historians using the utmost
reliable resources, which accompany each Family History Scroll. The
'Furr' family traces their ancestral roots back to Anglo Saxon origin, with a
more indepth account available on the Furr Family
Scroll."
The Dictionnaire Historique
& Biographique de la Suisse, published in
1926 by the Administration du Dictionnaire Historique et Biographique de la
Suisse, Place Paiget, Switzerland, includes listings
for several Furrer families on pages 291-293. Unfortunately this
book is written in Swiss French. First names of Furrers
mentioned in this book include Heinrich, Leonhard, Tobias, and Jakob. The parts I have been able to translate
so far indicate the following: "Furrer. Name of a
family widespread in the Swiss allemande, particularly in the cantons of Berne,
Lucerne, Unterwald,
Uri, Valais, and Zurich. This
name derives from Furre, also widespread."
According to Markus Furrer (Kegelgässchen 7, 8200
Schaffhausen), Furrer means "the one, who is in possession of, taking
benefit of the last terrace." So it
is actually a name deriving from the name of a point in the landscape (like
many other names as well) and not from a profession (like "Fuhrer," Canton of Zürich
originated, meaning carrier, waggoner). “Leader of scouts” is totally wrong. “Leader of scouts” could have something to do
with Führer (used as a family name also, and of Adolf
Hitler, not a very nice connotation and having the same word source as Fuhrer =
Fuhrmann = "leader of a wagon").
We do know that the Furr surname can be traced to both England and the German speaking parts of Switzerland. We
also know that in some cases it is likely the Anglicized version of the Germanic
names Furrer. Beyond that, everything is speculation.
Documented additions to this discussion of the origins of the Furr surname are
welcomed.