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

Finger, 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 Finger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Finger in America

Finger is the 6739th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Finger surname appeared 5,004 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Finger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Finger 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 Finger

The surname Finger has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "finger," which means "finger" in English. This occupational surname was likely given to someone who worked as a finger-ring maker or finger-pointer, indicating a connection to a specific trade or profession.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Finger surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period and may have originated even earlier.

In the 14th century, a man named Johannes Finger was mentioned in the Heidelberg University records, indicating the presence of the surname in academic circles. Another notable individual was Hans Finger, a renowned German painter and engraver who lived from 1510 to 1588, known for his religious and allegorical works.

The Finger surname also appears in various historical records across Europe. In England, the name can be traced back to the 16th century, with instances found in the parish records of Berkshire and Oxfordshire. One notable English bearer of the name was William Finger, a merchant and politician who lived from 1659 to 1717 and served as a Member of Parliament for Grimsby.

In the United States, the Finger surname has been present since the early colonial period. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Johann Adam Finger, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th century. Another notable American bearer of the Finger surname was Charles J. Finger, an author and educator who lived from 1867 to 1941 and wrote extensively on folklore and Native American culture.

Other notable individuals with the Finger surname include Friedrich Finger, a German mathematician and physicist who lived from 1808 to 1888 and made significant contributions to the fields of geometry and thermodynamics, and Joseph Finger, an Austrian-American psychoanalyst and author who lived from 1887 to 1960 and played a crucial role in introducing Sigmund Freud's work to the United States.

The Finger surname has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout history, such as Fingerplan in Germany, Fingerlake in New York, and Fingerlunden in Denmark, further highlighting its geographical spread and historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Finger

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

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

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

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