2000
#6,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,910
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.82
Rare Last name
Finger
An occupational surname referring to a finger-maker, a tailor's assistant who inserted fingers into gloves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,016 Americans carry the last name Finger. That puts it at #7,346 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,332 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Finger 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.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,332
Census rank
#7,346
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,374 bearers of the surname Finger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7346th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Finger, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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earliest recorded instances of the Finger surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Finger
Among Census respondents with the surname Finger, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Finger 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 Finger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 3,686
- Black or African American7.4% · 323
- Two or more races3.8% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 151
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Finger
Finger 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
#6,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,004
+94 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 355 places
2020
#7,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,374
-630 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,384 | 4,910 | 1.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,739 | 5,004 | 1.70 | +94 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 355 places |
| 2020 | #7,346 | 4,374 | 1.46 | -630 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 607 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 Finger 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 | #6,739 | #7,346 | -9.0% |
| Count | 5,004 | 4,374 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.70 | 1.46 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Finger bearers went from 5,004 to 4,374 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 607 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,739 to #7,346.
FAQ
Finger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Finger?
Name Census estimates that about 5,016 living Americans carry the surname Finger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,332 residents.
How common is Finger?
Finger ranks #7,346 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 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 4,374 people with the surname Finger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,016), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 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 Finger.
Has Finger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Finger went from 5,004 recorded bearers to 4,374. That is a decrease of 630 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,739 to #7,346.
What does the Census say about the background of Finger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Finger, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Finger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (3,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Finger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Black (7.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Finger (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 Finger mean?
An occupational surname referring to a finger-maker, a tailor's assistant who inserted fingers into gloves. 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 Finger (1.46 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 Finger?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Finger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.