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

Fincher, 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 Fincher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fincher in America

Fincher is the 4466th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fincher surname appeared 7,951 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Fincher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fincher 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 Fincher

The surname Fincher has its origins in England, where it first emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "finc," meaning finch, which was likely used as a nickname for someone with a lively or talkative nature, akin to the chattering of a finch bird.

The earliest known recording of the name Fincher can be traced back to the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Walter le Fyncher." This document was a census of landowners in England, providing evidence of the surname's existence during this time.

In the 14th century, the name was also documented in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where it was recorded as "Johannes Fyncher." This record suggests that the surname had spread across different regions of England by that time.

The Fincher surname has a strong association with various place names across England. For instance, in Derbyshire, there is a village called Findern, which may have been derived from the Old English words "finc" and "denu," meaning "finch valley." Similarly, in Nottinghamshire, there is a place called Fincham, which could be related to the surname.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Fincher surname. One of the earliest recorded was John Fincher, a merchant who lived in London during the 16th century. Another was Edward Fincher, a Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts in the 17th century and played a significant role in the establishment of the colony.

In the 18th century, William Fincher (1720-1798) was a prominent English clockmaker known for his intricate and highly accurate timepieces. His work is still celebrated by horologists and collectors today.

The 19th century saw the birth of George Fincher (1822-1892), a British engineer and inventor who patented several important innovations in the field of textile manufacturing machinery.

More recently, David Fincher (born 1962) is a renowned American filmmaker and director, best known for his critically acclaimed movies such as "Fight Club," "The Social Network," and "Gone Girl."

While these are just a few examples, the Fincher surname has a rich history spanning centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and ministers to engineers and artists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fincher

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

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 Fincher 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 Fincher 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 Fincher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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