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

Phinn, 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 Phinn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phinn in America

Phinn is the 100791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phinn surname appeared 179 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 Phinn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phinn 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 Phinn

The surname Phinn is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the county of Derbyshire during the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational surname derived from the Old English word "finnan," meaning "to come across" or "to find," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent landmark or geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Derbyshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert Phinn as a landholder in the area. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Phynne, Phinne, and Fynne, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. The Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire from 1327 list a William Phinne, indicating the continued presence of the surname in the area.

The Phinn surname later spread to other parts of England, with records showing instances of the name in Yorkshire and Lancashire by the 16th century. One notable individual was Richard Phinn (1556-1628), a merchant and alderman of York, who served as the city's Lord Mayor in 1600.

In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir James Phinn (1635-1718), a renowned English jurist and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire. He was appointed as a Justice of the King's Bench in 1689 and played a significant role in the legal system during the reign of King William III.

Another notable figure from this period was John Phinn (1669-1743), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Broughton Gifford in Wiltshire. He published several works on theology and religious subjects during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Phinn surname was associated with individuals such as William Phinn (1809-1892), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, and George Phinn (1836-1914), an English-born American artist and illustrator known for his works depicting scenes from the American Civil War.

While the Phinn surname has historical roots in England, particularly in Derbyshire, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Australia, North America, and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phinn

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!