The Surname Furman has two main versions of origin:
The first version -
Surname Furman (as well as surnames: Fur, Furer, Firer, Forer, Firerman, Fourdman, Furin, Firman, Furmansky, Furschik, Forman, Furmanik and other similar last names with an added ending, such as Furmans) originated from the Yiddish word " Fur ", which means" cart, wagon, etc. " Thus, the surname Furman is translated as "carrier" or "driver." The first Jewish families in Germany appeared in large Jewish communities at the end of the Middle Ages.
In those days, the names were given to very few Jews, mostly sages, Torah experts, or very rich and famous people. Most of these "early" names were given by the name of the place of residence.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Jews began to be given surnames more often, and not only by the name of a settlement. A surname could be the name of a profession, an epithet describing appearance, or just a nickname. The Jews of the Russian Empire began to be given names at the end of the 18th century, after the annexation of the western regions of Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states to the Russian Empire and after the partition of Poland. Then Catherine II "acquired" along with the western regions and a huge number of people, including Jews, who historically had no surnames, but only a first and middle name, for example "Shloyme, son of Haimka". To find out the number of her subjects, as well as to organize their call-up into the army, she introduced a census approximately once every ten years. These were the so-called "reviz fairy tales", during which all Jews were given last names, as a rule, either by place of residence (for example, Vileykin), or by the name of one of the parents (for example, Shifrin), as well as by other signs, for example, professional (Shoikhet in Russian Resnick).
In those days, the names were given to very few Jews, mostly sages, Torah experts, or very rich and famous people. Most of these "early" names were given by the name of the place of residence.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Jews began to be given surnames more often, and not only by the name of a settlement. A surname could be the name of a profession, an epithet describing appearance, or just a nickname. The Jews of the Russian Empire began to be given names at the end of the 18th century, after the annexation of the western regions of Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states to the Russian Empire and after the partition of Poland. Then Catherine II "acquired" along with the western regions and a huge number of people, including Jews, who historically had no surnames, but only a first and middle name, for example "Shloyme, son of Haimka". To find out the number of her subjects, as well as to organize their call-up into the army, she introduced a census approximately once every ten years. These were the so-called "reviz fairy tales", during which all Jews were given last names, as a rule, either by place of residence (for example, Vileykin), or by the name of one of the parents (for example, Shifrin), as well as by other signs, for example, professional (Shoikhet in Russian Resnick).
The second version -
Surname Furman is of German origin. It is derived from the verb "fahren" - to carry and the words "Mann" - man. Most likely, Furman received the surname (nickname) from his own kind of activity (occupation).
Surname Furman is of German origin. It is derived from the verb "fahren" - to carry and the words "Mann" - man. Most likely, Furman received the surname (nickname) from his own kind of activity (occupation).