Show ContentsFurlonger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish already had a system for creating hereditary surnames established when the followers of Strongbow settled in eastern Ireland. Although there was relatively little friction between the two systems because they operated according to very similar principles, the Strongbownians frequently used local surnames. In Ireland, local surnames were almost unheard of, but in England they were probably the most common form of hereditary surname. Local surnames, such as Furlonger, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. The surname Furlonger is derived from living near a field. The surname Furlonger is derived from the Old English word furlong, which denoted the length of a field. This word was comprised of the Old English words "furh," which means "furrow," and "lang," which means "long." A furlong was the technical name for a block of strips owned by several different people which constituted the unit of cultivation in the medieval open-held system of agriculture.

Early Origins of the Furlonger family

The surname Furlonger was first found in Dorset, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Furlonger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furlonger research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1242 is included under the topic Early Furlonger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Furlonger Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes spelled names as they sounded; therefore, single person, could have his name spelt many different ways during their lifetime. While investigating the origins of the name Furlonger, many spelling variations were encountered, including: Furlong, Furlang and others.

Early Notables of the Furlonger family

More information is included under the topic Early Furlonger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Furlonger family

Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Furlonger: Daniel Furlong purchased land in Philadelphia in 1774; James Furlong settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1764; Thomas Furlong settled in Maryland in 1775. Many others of that name settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800's. In Newfoundland, J. Furlong settled in St. John's in 1706.


Contemporary Notables of the name Furlonger (post 1700) +

  • Robert William "Bob" Furlonger CB (b. 1921), Australian public servant and diplomat, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia (1972–1975), Australian Ambassador to Austria and Hungary (1975–1977) and the first Director-General of the Office of National Assessments (1977–1981)


The Furlonger Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Liberalitas
Motto Translation: Liberty


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