2000
#1,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.49
Uncommon Last name
Finn
An Irish surname derived from the Old Irish personal name Fionn, meaning "fair" or "white."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 23,073 Americans carry the last name Finn. That puts it at #1,737 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,855 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Finn 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 Finn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 14,855
Census rank
#1,737
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,121 bearers of the surname Finn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1737th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Finn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Finn
The surname Finn is believed to have originated in Ireland and parts of Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "Fionn" which means "fair-haired" or "white". This name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with blonde or fair hair.
The name Finn can be traced back to the 10th century in Ireland, where it appeared in ancient Irish manuscripts and records. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Annals of Ulster, which chronicles events in medieval Ireland.
In the 12th century, the surname Finn is found in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that people with the name had migrated from Ireland to England during that time.
Notable historical figures with the surname Finn include Finn MacCumhail, a legendary Irish warrior and hero from the 3rd century AD. His name is closely associated with the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology.
Another prominent individual was Henry Finn (1782-1840), an Irish architect who designed several notable buildings in Dublin, including the Royal Hibernian Academy.
In the 19th century, John Finn (1807-1879) was an Irish-born Australian surveyor and explorer who played a significant role in mapping and exploring parts of Western Australia.
Other notable individuals with the surname Finn include Geraldine Finn (1910-1988), an American actress and singer, and James Finn Garner (1808-1863), an American writer and humorist from Tennessee.
The surname Finn has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Fintown in County Donegal and Fintra in County Dublin. These place names likely derived from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the historical presence of people with the name in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Finn
Among Census respondents with the surname Finn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Finn 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 Finn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 17,798
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 753
- Black or African American3.7% · 738
- Two or more races2.9% · 588
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 170
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 74
Timeline
Historical Census data for Finn
Finn 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
#1,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,852
+634 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 7.07
Rank movement Down 97 places
2020
#1,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,121
-731 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 6.73
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,624 | 20,218 | 7.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,721 | 20,852 | 7.07 | +634 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 97 places |
| 2020 | #1,737 | 20,121 | 6.73 | -731 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 16 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 Finn 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 | #1,721 | #1,737 | -0.9% |
| Count | 20,852 | 20,121 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 7.07 | 6.73 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Finn bearers went from 20,852 to 20,121 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,721 to #1,737.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Finn
FAQ
Finn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Finn?
Name Census estimates that about 23,073 living Americans carry the surname Finn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,855 residents.
How common is Finn?
Finn ranks #1,737 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,121 people with the surname Finn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (23,073), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Finn.
Has Finn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Finn went from 20,852 recorded bearers to 20,121. That is a decrease of 731 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,721 to #1,737.
What does the Census say about the background of Finn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Finn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Finn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (17,798 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Finn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Black (3.7%). 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 Finn (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 Finn mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Old Irish personal name Fionn, meaning "fair" or "white." 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 Finn (6.73 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 Finn?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Finn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.