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

Finnigan, 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 Finnigan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Finnigan in America

Finnigan is the 21759th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Finnigan surname appeared 1,195 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 Finnigan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Finnigan 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 Finnigan

The surname Finnigan has its origins in Ireland, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Fionnagán, which translates to "fair-born" or "white offspring." This name likely originated from the combination of the Gaelic elements "fionn," meaning fair or white, and "óg," meaning young or offspring.

Finnigan is a widespread surname found primarily in counties such as Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the western regions of Ireland. It is an anglicized version of the original Gaelic name, with variations in spelling including Finegan, Finnegan, and Fenelon.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Finnigan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1352, it mentions a entry referring to "Fineen O'Finnigan," suggesting the surname's existence at that time.

The Finnigan surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Seán Ó Finagáin, a 16th-century Irish poet and historian from County Sligo. Another prominent figure was Seamus Finnigan, an Irish rebel and leader during the 1798 Irish Rebellion against British rule.

In the 19th century, Cornelius Finnigan (1824-1904) was an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts State Senate. John Finnigan (1866-1942), born in County Mayo, was a successful businessman and philanthropist in the United States, known for his contributions to Catholic charities.

Another notable bearer of the Finnigan surname was Kathleen Finnigan (1902-1987), an Irish actress and comedian who enjoyed a successful career on stage and screen in the mid-20th century. She is particularly remembered for her portrayal of the character "Mrs. Doyle" in the popular Irish sitcom "Father Ted."

The Finnigan surname has also been linked to various place names throughout Ireland, such as Finnigan's Cross in County Mayo and Finnigan's Bridge in County Sligo, further emphasizing its deep roots in the Irish tradition and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Finnigan

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

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

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

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