NameCensus.

UK surname

Fincham

A locational surname derived from a place in Norfolk, England, likely meaning "homestead of Finn's people."

In the 1881 census there were 840 people recorded with the Fincham surname, ranking it #4,490 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,266, ranked #4,725, down from #4,490 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Attleburgh, Mildenhall and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, St Edmundsbury and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fincham is 1,416 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.7%.

1881 census count

840

Ranked #4,490

Modern count

1,266

2016, ranked #4,725

Peak year

1999

1,416 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fincham had 840 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,490 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,266 in 2016, ranked #4,725.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,233 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fincham surname distribution map

The map shows where the Fincham surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Fincham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fincham over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 621 #4,162
1861 historical 538 #4,878
1881 historical 840 #4,490
1891 historical 1,004 #4,131
1901 historical 1,207 #4,082
1911 historical 1,233 #3,829
1997 modern 1,316 #4,359
1998 modern 1,382 #4,321
1999 modern 1,416 #4,265
2000 modern 1,383 #4,332
2001 modern 1,353 #4,321
2002 modern 1,391 #4,314
2003 modern 1,361 #4,315
2004 modern 1,349 #4,355
2005 modern 1,292 #4,450
2006 modern 1,251 #4,604
2007 modern 1,254 #4,644
2008 modern 1,253 #4,664
2009 modern 1,295 #4,623
2010 modern 1,317 #4,654
2011 modern 1,324 #4,564
2012 modern 1,286 #4,619
2013 modern 1,290 #4,683
2014 modern 1,297 #4,686
2015 modern 1,275 #4,718
2016 modern 1,266 #4,725

Geography

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Where Finchams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Attleburgh, Mildenhall, London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Lakenheath. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, St Edmundsbury, Newark and Sherwood and East Riding of Yorkshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Attleburgh Norfolk
2 Mildenhall Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
5 Lakenheath Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 010 Breckland
2 St Edmundsbury 001 St Edmundsbury
3 Newark and Sherwood 010 Newark and Sherwood
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Breckland 011 Breckland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fincham

These lists show first names that appear often with the Fincham surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fincham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fincham, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Fincham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Fincham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Fincham is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fincham is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fincham falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fincham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fincham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fincham

The surname Fincham has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Norfolk. It is believed to have emerged during the late 12th or early 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "finc," meaning a finch bird, and "ham," meaning a homestead or village. Therefore, the literal meaning of Fincham is "the homestead or village where finches are found."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Fincham can be found in the Feet of Fines, a legal document from Norfolk dated 1198, which mentions a person named Robert de Fincham. This suggests that the name was already in use by the end of the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a census-like record from 1273, which lists several individuals with the surname Fincham. This provides evidence that the name was well-established in the region by that time.

The name Fincham is also associated with the village of the same name in Norfolk, which was once known as "Fincham-next-Downham." This indicates that the surname likely originated from this particular location.

One notable figure in history with the surname Fincham was Robert Fincham, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Dean of York from 1349 to 1370. Another individual of note was John Fincham, a 16th-century English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1556 for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I.

In the 17th century, Edward Fincham (1597-1665) was a prominent English churchman who served as the Dean of York from 1638 to 1651. He was also involved in the English Civil War and was briefly imprisoned for his support of King Charles I.

Moving into the 18th century, John Fincham (1725-1795) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the 19th century, Henry Fincham (1813-1888) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Barnabas in Pimlico.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fincham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fincham surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 170 Finchams recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.53x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 170 13.53x
Essex 166 10.29x
Middlesex 113 1.38x
Suffolk 110 11.05x
Cambridgeshire 63 12.17x
Surrey 63 1.58x
Kent 32 1.15x
Lancashire 29 0.30x
Yorkshire 20 0.25x
Warwickshire 14 0.68x
Nottinghamshire 13 1.18x
Lincolnshire 12 0.92x
Northamptonshire 7 0.91x
Hertfordshire 6 1.06x
Hampshire 4 0.24x
Radnorshire 3 4.55x
Sussex 3 0.22x
Denbighshire 2 0.65x
Dorset 2 0.37x
Huntingdonshire 2 1.23x
Bedfordshire 1 0.24x
Derbyshire 1 0.08x
Oxfordshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 1.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mildenhall in Suffolk leads with 44 Finchams recorded in 1881 and an index of 415.88x.

Place Total Index
Mildenhall 44 415.88x
Lakenheath 42 798.48x
Attleborough 30 472.44x
Lambeth 27 3.79x
Lexden 21 324.07x
St George Hanover Square 17 11.80x
West Ham 17 4.77x
Leyton 16 57.57x
Chelmsford 15 54.17x
Islington London 15 1.89x
Great Baddow 14 243.90x
Littleport 14 141.56x
St Pancras London 14 2.13x
Boughton 13 1969.70x
Great Coggeshall 13 154.95x
Stanway 13 459.36x
Croydon 12 5.43x
Linton 12 243.90x
Feltwell Feltwell Anchor 11 480.35x
Great Yarmouth 11 10.56x
Shoreditch London 11 3.10x
East Harling 10 335.57x
Newark Upon Trent 10 25.25x
Tottenham 10 7.68x
Woolwich 10 9.71x
Shropham 9 743.80x
Birmingham 8 1.16x
Newington 8 2.65x
Whittlesey St Mary St 8 44.25x
Aldham 7 583.33x
Braiseworth 7 1555.56x
Fulbourn 7 141.41x
Lakenham 7 39.19x
Lewisham 7 4.71x
Newchurch 7 8.82x
Peterborough 7 12.57x
Preston 7 156.60x
Aston 6 1.06x
Battersea 6 1.99x
Brandon 6 88.89x
Brightside Bierlow 6 3.78x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 6 32.10x
Chelsea London 6 2.44x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 6 26.57x
Everton 6 1.94x
Fordham 6 179.64x
Methwold 6 147.42x
Ramsden Bell House 6 540.54x
Southery 6 180.72x
Wiggenhall St Mary Virgin 6 666.67x
Barrow In Furness 5 3.79x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.41x
Bishop Stortford 5 26.57x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.59x
Downham 5 90.91x
Halstead 5 26.57x
Holt 5 116.28x
Metheringham 5 95.79x
Rockland St Peter 5 704.23x
Springfield 5 70.72x
Terrington St Clement 5 88.03x
Woodplumpton 5 144.09x
Wymondham 5 38.91x
Boston 4 10.09x
Chatham 4 5.21x
Exning 4 79.52x
Fareham 4 19.86x
Feltwell 4 163.93x
Greenwich 4 3.07x
Hockwold Cum Wilton 4 186.92x
Kenninghall 4 115.94x
Sheffield 4 1.55x
St Marylebone London 4 0.92x
Wandsworth 4 5.08x
West Mersea 4 129.45x
Colchester St Leonard 3 57.80x
Colchester St Martin 3 101.69x
Hilgay 3 63.42x
Kensington London 3 0.66x
Stoke Newington London 3 4.71x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Fincham surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Fincham surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 51
John 43
Charles 22
James 21
Robert 21
George 20
Henry 18
Alfred 13
Arthur 13
Harry 12
Joseph 12
Isaac 10
Frederick 8
Walter 7
Edward 6
Samuel 6
Thomas 6
Albert 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Thos. 4
Abraham 3
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Fred 3
Jacob 3
Wm. 3
Jonathan 2
Noah 2
Reuben 2
Sidney 2
Archie 1
Bertie 1
Carpenter 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Ellis 1
Fonbert 1
Frederic 1
Frncis 1
Geo. 1
Horrace 1
Humphrey 1
Jeffery 1
Jesse 1
Jetheral 1
Jethro 1
Job 1

FAQ

Fincham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fincham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 840 people were recorded with the Fincham surname. That placed it at #4,490 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fincham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,266 in 2016. That gives Fincham a modern rank of #4,725.

What does the Fincham surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place in Norfolk, England, likely meaning "homestead of Finn's people."

What does the Fincham map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Fincham bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.