2000
#7,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Findlay
A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Findlach in Banffshire or a place near Moray Firth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,038 Americans carry the last name Findlay. That puts it at #7,312 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,034 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Findlay 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 Findlay with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,034
Census rank
#7,312
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,393 bearers of the surname Findlay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7312th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Findlay, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Findlay
The surname Findlay originated from the Celtic region of Scotland, with records suggesting it emerged during the Middle Ages. The name stems from the Gaelic words "fionn" meaning fair or white, and "laith" meaning champion or warrior, indicating it may have been a descriptive surname for a fair-haired or light-complexioned warrior or champion.
Findlay is believed to have derived from the lands of Findlayston, a small estate near Renfrew, a town located west of Glasgow. The earliest recorded mention of the name dates back to the late 12th century, when a Randolph de Fyndlauton was documented as holding these lands.
In the early 13th century, records show a Gillebertus de Fyndlayston, whose name further reinforces the connection between the surname and the Findlayston estate. Over time, the spelling evolved from Fyndlayston to Findlay, reflecting the transition from a place name to a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Findlay was Sir John Findlay, who lived in the 14th century and served as the Lord Chamberlain of Scotland under King Robert II. Another notable figure was William Findlay (1492-1556), a Scottish theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Scotland.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Findlay surname spread across Scotland, with various branches emerging in different regions. One prominent family line was that of the Findlays of Ayrshire, who were landowners and played an influential role in local affairs.
In the 18th century, Robert Findlay (1721-1814) was a Scottish merchant and banker who made a fortune in the East India trade and became one of the wealthiest individuals in Britain. Another notable Findlay was Alexander George Findlay (1825-1905), a Scottish-born Australian politician and Premier of Victoria from 1870 to 1871.
As the Findlay surname spread beyond Scotland, it also gained recognition in other parts of the world. One example is Jesse Franklin Findlay (1876-1942), an American politician who served as the 29th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1935 to 1939.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Findlay
Among Census respondents with the surname Findlay, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Findlay 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 Findlay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 3,491
- Black or African American12.3% · 542
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 186
- Two or more races3.0% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Findlay
Findlay 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
#7,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,509
+359 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Up 16 places
2020
#7,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,393
-116 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Up 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,403 | 4,150 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,387 | 4,509 | 1.53 | +359 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 16 places |
| 2020 | #7,312 | 4,393 | 1.47 | -116 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 75 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 Findlay 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 | #7,387 | #7,312 | 1.0% |
| Count | 4,509 | 4,393 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.53 | 1.47 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Findlay bearers went from 4,509 to 4,393 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,387 to #7,312.
FAQ
Findlay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Findlay?
Name Census estimates that about 5,038 living Americans carry the surname Findlay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,034 residents.
How common is Findlay?
Findlay ranks #7,312 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,393 people with the surname Findlay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Findlay.
Has Findlay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Findlay went from 4,509 recorded bearers to 4,393. That is a decrease of 116 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,387 to #7,312.
What does the Census say about the background of Findlay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Findlay, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Findlay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (3,491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Findlay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Black (12.3%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Findlay (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 Findlay mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Findlach in Banffshire or a place near Moray Firth. 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 Findlay (1.47 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 are called Findlay?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Findlay at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.