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

Finken, 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 Finken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Finken in America

Finken is the 28158th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Finken surname appeared 850 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Finken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Finken 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 Finken

The surname Finken is of Germanic origin, believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old German word "fink," meaning "finch," combined with the suffix "-en," indicating a place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Finken can be found in the medieval German records of the 13th century, where it was often spelled as "Fincken" or "Finkken." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place associated with finches, possibly a location known for its abundance of these birds or a settlement near a finch habitat.

In the 15th century, the Finken name appears in the records of the city of Cologne, where a family of that name held a prominent position. Johannes Finken (1435-1505), a German theologian and philosopher, was born in the town of Windecken and is considered one of the earliest notable figures bearing this surname.

During the 16th century, the Finken name spread across various regions of Germany, with several individuals of note bearing this surname. Heinrich Finken (1516-1589), a German historian and theologian, was born in Münster and authored several works on the history of Westphalia.

In the 17th century, the Finken name can be found in the records of the city of Hamburg, where a family of merchants and traders bearing this surname were active in the local economy. Andreas Finken (1635-1701), a German merchant and shipowner, was a prominent figure in the city's maritime trade during this period.

As the centuries progressed, the Finken name continued to appear in various regions of Germany, with some individuals emigrating to other parts of Europe and beyond. Johann Finken (1768-1836), a German-born composer and musician, was active in the court of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and later settled in England, where he contributed to the development of British musical culture.

Throughout its history, the surname Finken has been associated with various occupations and professions, ranging from scholars and theologians to merchants and tradesmen. Despite its widespread distribution, the name remains rooted in its Germanic origins and continues to be a part of the cultural tapestry of the regions where it has been present for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Finken

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

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

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

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