2000
#10,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,880
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Finlay
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh, meaning "fair warrior" or "white hero."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,387 Americans carry the last name Finlay. That puts it at #10,371 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,197 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Finlay 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 Finlay with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,197
Census rank
#10,371
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,954 bearers of the surname Finlay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10371st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Finlay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Finlay
The surname Finlay is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Fionnlagh" meaning "white stranger" or "fair hero". It is composed of the elements "fionn" (white, fair) and "laogh" (calf or hero).
This name first appeared in records during the 12th century, with early spellings including Finlau, Finlaw, and Finlaye. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Here, the name appears as "Finlaye de Karryk".
The Finlay surname is particularly associated with the Scottish Highlands and the islands of the Inner Hebrides, such as Islay and Jura. It is believed that the name may have originated from a Norse-Gaelic family who settled in these regions during the Viking age.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which record a "Gilbertus dictus Fynlau" in 1369. Another early reference is found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a 16th-century manuscript that mentions a "Donald Finlay" in 1526.
One notable individual bearing the Finlay surname was Robert Finlay (1590-1661), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1646. Another prominent figure was John Finlay (1782-1810), a Scottish poet and author who wrote several works, including "Scottish Historical and Romantic Ballads".
In the 19th century, George Finlay (1799-1875) was a Scottish historian and philhellene (lover of Greece) who wrote extensively on the history of the Byzantine Empire and Greece. His major work, "A History of Greece from Its Conquest by the Romans to the Present Time", was published in seven volumes between 1844 and 1861.
Another notable Finlay was Sir Robert Bannatyne Finlay (1842-1929), a Scottish lawyer and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1916 to 1919. He was also a Member of Parliament for the Inverness Burghs constituency from 1892 to 1906.
In more recent times, Ian Finlay (1925-2006) was a Scottish poet, writer, and artist who is considered a key figure in the concrete poetry movement. He is known for his innovative use of typography and visual elements in his poetic works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Finlay
Among Census respondents with the surname Finlay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Finlay 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 Finlay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 2,487
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 189
- Black or African American4.9% · 144
- Two or more races3.3% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Finlay
Finlay 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
#10,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,980
+100 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 463 places
2020
#10,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,954
-26 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 350 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,258 | 2,880 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,721 | 2,980 | 1.01 | +100 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 463 places |
| 2020 | #10,371 | 2,954 | 0.99 | -26 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 350 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 Finlay 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 | #10,721 | #10,371 | 3.3% |
| Count | 2,980 | 2,954 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.99 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Finlay bearers went from 2,980 to 2,954 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 350 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,721 to #10,371.
FAQ
Finlay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Finlay?
Name Census estimates that about 3,387 living Americans carry the surname Finlay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,197 residents.
How common is Finlay?
Finlay ranks #10,371 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,954 people with the surname Finlay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,387), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Finlay.
Has Finlay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Finlay went from 2,980 recorded bearers to 2,954. That is a decrease of 26 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,721 to #10,371.
What does the Census say about the background of Finlay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Finlay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (4.9%). 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 Finlay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (2,487 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Finlay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Hispanic (6.4%), Black (4.9%). 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 Finlay (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 Finlay mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh, meaning "fair warrior" or "white hero." 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 Finlay (0.99 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 common is the surname Finlay?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Finlay on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.