Furnie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Furnie

What does the name Furnie mean?

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Furnie, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. The ancestors of the Furnie family lived in the lands of Fernie in Fife where the name can be found since very early times.

Early Origins of the Furnie family

The surname Furnie was first found in Fife, where Fernie Castle, the family's ancestral home is an enlarged sixteenth-century tower house just east of the village of Letham.

Early History of the Furnie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furnie research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1475 and 1516 are included under the topic Early Furnie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Furnie Spelling Variations

Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Furnie has been written Fernie, Ferny, Fearny, Fearney, Ferney, Firnie, Firney and many more.

Early Notables of the Furnie family

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

Migration of the Furnie family

Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Furnie: John Fernie made his home in Virginia in 1623. William Fernie landed in New England in 1654. Many of the Fernie name purchased land in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800'.