Find out how popular the last name Fin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Fin.

Fin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Fin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fin in America

Fin is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fin surname appeared 138 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Fin

The surname FIN has its origins in medieval England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fin," meaning "boundary" or "border," suggesting that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who lived near a boundary or border area.

During the Middle Ages, the FIN surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. It is worth noting that the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, the oldest surviving public record of England, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the FIN surname was Robert Fin, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202. Another notable early figure was William Fin, a landowner in Nottinghamshire, whose name appears in the Feet of Fines records from 1243.

The FIN surname has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Finborough in Suffolk and Finchley in London. These place names may have influenced the development and spelling variations of the surname over time.

Among the notable individuals bearing the FIN surname throughout history are:

1. Sir John Fin (c. 1350-1420), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of King Henry IV.
2. Robert Fin (c. 1480-1554), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the Tudor period.
3. Elizabeth Fin (c. 1590-1670), an English Puritan and one of the early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America.
4. Samuel Fin (1655-1725), a respected scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, in the late 17th century.
5. Sir George Fin (1760-1832), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and was later appointed Governor of Newfoundland.

While the FIN surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout its history, such as Finn, Finne, and Fynne, it has maintained a consistent presence in England and has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Fin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Fin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Fin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Fin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fin, please contact us.

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