In the 19th century the townlands of Strandtown and Ballymaghan were owned by Thomas Knox, Earl of Ranfurly, until 1858 when they were purchased by Sir Thomas McClure, who became MP for Belfast (1868-74). Although the seat of the Earl of Ranfurly was at Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, and the title is part of the Irish peerage, it refers to Ranfurly Castle near Bridge of Weir in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
In 1863 a group of 4 houses named Ranfurly Place, situated on Belmont Road, was owned by Thomas Kelly according to Griffith's Valuation. This explains why Ranfurly Street and, later, Ranfurly Drive were chosen as names in this precise location.
Owner: Mr H C Craig property situate off Strandtown Road - Ranfurly Street and Bathgate Gardens. (Minutes, Town Improvement Committee, 20th April 1898). The name Ranfurly Street was only in use for just over a decade. The street appears to have been renamed Ranfurly Drive between 1910 and 1912, as the house numbering and some of the residents remain the same.