NameCensus.

UK surname

Finer

A surname derived from the Middle English word "finer," meaning a refiner or purifier of metals.

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Finer surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Clacton, Great, St George in the East and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Cornwall and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finer is 148 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.5%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1911

148 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Finer had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 148 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Finer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finer 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 103 #20,650
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 134 #19,288
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 130 #23,603
1999 modern 130 #23,805
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 119 #25,231
2003 modern 119 #25,026
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 111 #27,846
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 108 #28,811
2012 modern 95 #31,107
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Finers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Clacton, Great, St George in the East, London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Cornwall, West Dorset, Stratford-on-Avon and Camden. 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 Clacton, Great Essex
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 008 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Cornwall 057 Cornwall
3 West Dorset 002 West Dorset
4 Stratford-on-Avon 014 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Camden 009 Camden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Finer, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Finer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Finer 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Finer is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Finer is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Finer 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 Finer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Finer

The surname Finer can be traced back to medieval England, with its origins believed to be derived from the Old French word "fin," meaning "fine" or "delicate." It is thought to have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a refined or genteel demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the Finer surname appear in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is listed as "Fynour." This suggests that the name may have originated in or around that region during the 13th century.

Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, variations of the spelling were found in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which list a John le Fynour, and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1379, which mention a Thomas Fynour.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Finer surname was John Finer, a merchant and alderman who lived in Bristol, England, in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical records from that time period.

In the 16th century, the name Finer appeared in the famous Boke of St. Albans, a treatise on hunting and heraldry published in 1486, which included a reference to a William Finer, a huntsman from Hertfordshire.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Finer surname continued to be found throughout various parts of England, with notable individuals including Sir Benjamin Finer (1630-1688), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London, and Richard Finer (1720-1798), a renowned clockmaker from Oxfordshire.

Other notable individuals with the Finer surname include:

1. Edward Finer (1836-1914), a prominent English architect responsible for designing several notable public buildings in London. 2. Samuel Finer (1915-1993), a British political scientist and academic who authored numerous influential works on political theory and government. 3. Catherine Finer (1932-2020), a British actress and writer best known for her roles in various BBC television series. 4. Sir Morris Finer (1926-2015), a British lawyer and academic who served as the Warden of Wadham College, Oxford. 5. John Finer (born 1941), a British author and journalist who has written extensively on topics related to travel and culture.

While the Finer surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by various generations of individuals bearing this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finer 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. Middlesex leads with 29 Finers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 4.07x
Essex 14 9.96x
Kent 12 4.94x
Yorkshire 8 1.13x
Warwickshire 3 1.67x
Durham 2 0.94x
Surrey 2 0.58x
Glamorgan 1 0.81x
Lancashire 1 0.12x
Staffordshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bexley in Kent leads with 10 Finers recorded in 1881 and an index of 465.12x.

Place Total Index
Bexley 10 465.12x
Mile End Old Town London 10 66.01x
Holbeck 8 171.31x
St George In East London 8 119.40x
Islington London 6 8.69x
Kirby Le Soken 5 2500.00x
Leyton 5 206.61x
Great Clacton 4 833.33x
Whitechapel London 4 56.98x
Aston 3 6.07x
Camberwell 2 4.40x
Monkwearmouth Shore 2 48.43x
Deptford St Paul 1 5.34x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 8.40x
Minster In Sheppey 1 24.88x
North Meols 1 12.09x
Tottenham 1 8.82x
West Bromwich 1 7.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Annie 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Alice 1
Betsy 1
Clarisa 1
Constance 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Rachie 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Sara 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Henry 2
Hyman 2
Joseph 2
Percy 2
Thomas 2
Ada 1
Albert 1
Charles 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Harris 1
Hugh 1
John 1
Lazarus 1
Samuel 1
Wilfred 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Finer households.

FAQ

Finer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Finer surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Finer a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Finer surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English word "finer," meaning a refiner or purifier of metals.

What does the Finer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Finer 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.