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

Finney, 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 Finney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Finney in America

Finney is the 2139th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Finney surname appeared 16,939 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Finney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Finney 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 Finney

The surname Finney originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "fin" meaning a marsh or fen, indicating that the name originated as a place name for someone who lived near a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1165, where it appears as "de Fenia." This spelling suggests that the name was initially pronounced with a long "e" sound. Over time, it evolved into the modern spelling of Finney.

The name is also associated with the village of Finney in Lancashire, which was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Finehedia." This place name is believed to have influenced the development of the surname in that region.

In the 13th century, there are records of a Walter de Feneye in Staffordshire, and in the 14th century, a John de Fynney appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire. These early examples show the variations in spelling that were common before standardized spelling became more widespread.

Notable individuals with the surname Finney include:

1. Albert Finney (1936-2019), an English actor known for his roles in films such as "Tom Jones" and "Erin Brockovich."
2. Charles Finney (1792-1875), an American Presbyterian minister and leader of the Second Great Awakening religious revival movement.
3. John Finney (1884-1940), an English professional footballer who played for Manchester City and represented England.
4. Ross Finney (1906-1997), an American composer and educator known for his orchestral and chamber works.
5. Jack Finney (1911-1995), an American author best known for his novels "The Body Snatchers" and "Time and Again."

These examples demonstrate the widespread use and prominence of the Finney surname across various fields and time periods, solidifying its place in the historical record.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Finney

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

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

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

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