2000
#12,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Finlayson
Son of Finlay, a Scottish and Irish name derived from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh, meaning "fair warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,538 Americans carry the last name Finlayson. That puts it at #13,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,049 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Finlayson 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 Finlayson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,049
Census rank
#13,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,213 bearers of the surname Finlayson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Finlayson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Finlayson
The surname Finlayson is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic "Fionnlagh" or "Fionnladh", meaning "fair hero" or "white warrior". It is a patronymic name, formed by adding the suffix "-son" to the personal name Finlay or Finley.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th century, with references to individuals bearing the name in various Scottish records and charters. One of the earliest known bearers was David Fynlaweson, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1290.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form Finlayson in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls compiled during the reign of Edward I of England. This document recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to the English king in the late 13th century.
The Finlaysons were particularly prominent in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in areas such as Perthshire and Argyllshire. The name was also associated with the Clan Mackenzie, with some Finlaysons serving as bodyguards to the chiefs of the clan.
One notable bearer of the name was John Finlayson (c. 1770-1854), a Scottish scholar and author who wrote extensively on Scottish history and literature. He also served as the librarian to the University of Edinburgh.
Another prominent figure was James Finlayson (1875-1942), a Scottish actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films during the silent and early sound eras. He is best known for his roles in comedies produced by the Hal Roach Studios, where he often played alongside Laurel and Hardy.
In the field of science, Robert Finlayson (1835-1907) was a Scottish meteorologist and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of atmospheric dynamics and weather patterns.
The name Finlayson has also been associated with several places in Scotland, such as Finlayson's Burn in Ayrshire and Finlayson's Green in Glasgow.
Throughout its history, the surname Finlayson has been subject to various spellings, including Finlawson, Finlason, and Finleyson, reflecting regional variations and the evolution of language over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Finlayson
Among Census respondents with the surname Finlayson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Finlayson 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 Finlayson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 1,867
- Black or African American6.4% · 141
- Two or more races5.0% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Finlayson
Finlayson 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
#13,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,273
-9 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 932 places
2020
#13,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,213
-60 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 186 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,475 | 2,282 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,407 | 2,273 | 0.77 | -9 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 932 places |
| 2020 | #13,221 | 2,213 | 0.74 | -60 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 186 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 Finlayson 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 | #13,407 | #13,221 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,273 | 2,213 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.74 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Finlayson bearers went from 2,273 to 2,213 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 186 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,407 to #13,221.
FAQ
Finlayson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Finlayson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,538 living Americans carry the surname Finlayson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,049 residents.
How common is Finlayson?
Finlayson ranks #13,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,213 people with the surname Finlayson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,538), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Finlayson.
Has Finlayson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Finlayson went from 2,273 recorded bearers to 2,213. That is a decrease of 60 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,407 to #13,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Finlayson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Finlayson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Finlayson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (1,867 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Finlayson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Black (6.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Finlayson (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 Finlayson mean?
Son of Finlay, a Scottish and Irish name derived from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh, meaning "fair warrior." 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 Finlayson (0.74 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 Finlayson?
See how many people have the last name Finlayson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.