2000
#4,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,898
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Rare Last name
Fincher
An occupational surname for someone who hunts small animals, particularly birds, using a finch or other small bird.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,579 Americans carry the last name Fincher. That puts it at #4,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,953 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fincher surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fincher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,953
Census rank
#4,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,481 bearers of the surname Fincher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fincher, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fincher
Among Census respondents with the surname Fincher, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fincher bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Fincher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 6,225
- Black or African American9.2% · 690
- Two or more races4.1% · 304
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 195
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fincher
Fincher appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,951
+53 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Down 313 places
2020
#4,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,481
-470 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,153 | 7,898 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,466 | 7,951 | 2.70 | +53 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 313 places |
| 2020 | #4,600 | 7,481 | 2.50 | -470 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 134 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Fincher surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,466 | #4,600 | -3.0% |
| Count | 7,951 | 7,481 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.70 | 2.50 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fincher bearers went from 7,951 to 7,481 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 134 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,466 to #4,600.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fincher
FAQ
Fincher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fincher?
Name Census estimates that about 8,579 living Americans carry the surname Fincher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,953 residents.
How common is Fincher?
Fincher ranks #4,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,481 people with the surname Fincher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,579), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Fincher.
Has Fincher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fincher went from 7,951 recorded bearers to 7,481. That is a decrease of 470 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,466 to #4,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Fincher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fincher, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fincher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (6,225 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fincher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (9.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Fincher (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Fincher mean?
An occupational surname for someone who hunts small animals, particularly birds, using a finch or other small bird. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Fincher (2.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Fincher?
Find out how common the surname Fincher is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.