Show ContentsFurr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Furr derives from the German word "feuer" meaning "fire," and was probably an occupational name for someone who worked with fire such as a smith, a fire lighter, or a person who took care of the heating a household.

Early Origins of the Furr family

The surname Furr was first found in Austria, where the family gained a significant reputation for its contributions to the emerging mediaeval society. The name became prominent as many branches of the family founded separate houses and acquired estates in various regions, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Pertholt der Feurer in the Sonnenberg monastery around 1350.

Early History of the Furr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furr research. Another 205 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1297 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Furr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Furr Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Furr include Feuer, Feuerer, Feirer, Feierle, Feuerre, Fuer, Fewer, Fuere and many more.

Early Notables of the Furr family

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

Furr Ranking

In the United States, the name Furr is the 3,329th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1


United States Furr migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Furr or a variant listed above:

Furr Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • David Furr, aged 57, who landed in America, in 1902
  • John Davies Furr, aged 49, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1906
  • William Furr, aged 36, who immigrated to Reading, PA, in 1917
  • Leonard Furr, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
  • Francis Furr, aged 32, who settled in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1918
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Furr (post 1700) +

  • Nyman Furr (d. 2007), American fiddler, bass player, singer and songwriter from Camden, Tennessee
  • Grover Carr Furr III (b. 1944), American professor and author of books and articles in Russian and English
  • Joel K. "Jay" Furr (b. 1967), American writer and software trainer
  • Roy Furr (1907-1975), American president of Furr's chain of supermarkets and restaurants, son of C.W. Furr
  • C.W. Furr, American founder of Furr's chain of supermarkets and restaurants in 1904
  • Christian Furr (b. 1966), English painter who at the age of 28 was the youngest artist to officially paint Queen Elizabeth II
  • Betty Furr Richie, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 68th District, 2000; Member of Democratic National Committee from Texas, 2008 2


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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