Furnivall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Furnivall

What does the name Furnivall mean?

Furnivall is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Furnivall family lived in Lincolnshire. Their name, however, is not a reference to this area, but to their place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Fourneville in Calvados, Normandy.

Early Origins of the Furnivall family

The surname Furnivall was first found in Lincolnshire where "the best authorities state that the first of this name, known in England, was Girard de Furnival, who came over from Normandy, temp. Richard I., and accompanied the crusade to the Holy Land. It is impossible to reconcile this fact with the entry on the Battle Roll. " 1

Early History of the Furnivall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Furnivall research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1250 is included under the topic Early Furnivall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Furnivall Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Furnivall are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Furnivall include Furnival, Furnivall, Furniwal, Furniwall and many more.

Early Notables of the Furnivall family

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

Migration of the Furnivall family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Furnivall, or a variant listed above: Richard Furnwall and Samuel Furnwall arrived in Philadelphia in 1876.

Contemporary Notables of the name Furnivall (post 1700) +

Frederick James Furnivall, British philologist who founded numerous literary societies and as a member of the Philological Society proposed the Oxford English Dictionary in 1857

Sources +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.