NameCensus.

UK surname

Fingland

A variation of the topographic surname referring to someone living near a fen or marshy area.

In the 1881 census there were 153 people recorded with the Fingland surname, ranking it #15,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 164, ranked #22,314, down from #15,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Morton, Durisdeer and Fenwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shawhead and Whifflet, Anderston and Machars South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fingland is 168 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.2%.

1881 census count

153

Ranked #15,320

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

1901

168 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fingland had 153 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 168 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Fingland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fingland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fingland 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 131 #14,243
1861 historical 135 #16,651
1881 historical 153 #15,320
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 168 #16,886
1911 historical 40 #28,913
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 151 #21,578
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 156 #21,235
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 149 #21,766
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 147 #22,057
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 143 #22,924
2008 modern 151 #22,323
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 152 #23,101
2012 modern 156 #22,645
2013 modern 158 #22,817
2014 modern 159 #22,930
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

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Where Finglands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Morton, Durisdeer, Fenwick, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shawhead and Whifflet, Anderston, Machars South, Middlesbrough and Drumchapel South. 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 Morton Dumfries
2 Durisdeer Dumfries
3 Fenwick Ayr
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shawhead and Whifflet North Lanarkshire
2 Anderston Glasgow City
3 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
4 Middlesbrough 003 Middlesbrough
5 Drumchapel South Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fingland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fingland

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Fingland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Fingland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Fingland is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fingland 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

Fingland falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fingland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Fingland

The surname Fingland originates from Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "fionn," meaning "fair" or "white," combined with the Old English word "land," referring to a piece of land or territory. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived on or owned land with fair or light-colored soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fingland can be found in the Scottish Parish Records. In 1642, a John Fingland was listed as a resident of the parish of Cramond, located near Edinburgh. Additionally, the surname appeared in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1691, indicating its presence in various parts of Scotland during that time period.

In the late 17th century, a notable figure named James Fingland (1660-1731) was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland. He was a Presbyterian minister who became involved in the Jacobite risings, supporting the claim of James VII of Scotland (James II of England) to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

During the 18th century, a family by the name of Fingland resided in the town of Kilbarchan, located in the historic county of Renfrewshire. Records show that in 1785, a John Fingland was born in Kilbarchan, and he later became a successful merchant and shipowner.

In the 19th century, a prominent individual named William Fingland (1815-1887) was born in Greenock, Scotland. He was a shipbuilder and businessman who played a significant role in the development of the shipbuilding industry in the Clyde region.

Another notable figure was Robert Fingland (1859-1932), a Scottish-born architect who emigrated to Canada in the late 19th century. He contributed to the design of several prominent buildings in Toronto, including the King Edward Hotel and the Royal Ontario Museum.

While the Fingland surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and settlement. However, the name remains relatively uncommon, and its historical roots can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fingland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fingland 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. Dumfriesshire leads with 55 Finglands recorded in 1881 and an index of 166.87x.

County Total Index
Dumfriesshire 55 166.87x
Ayrshire 19 17.01x
Lancashire 16 0.90x
Lanarkshire 13 2.69x
Midlothian 8 4.00x
Wigtownshire 8 40.38x
Renfrewshire 7 6.05x
Suffolk 7 3.85x
West Lothian 6 26.70x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 23.15x
Dunbartonshire 3 7.48x
Caithness 2 9.79x
Perthshire 2 2.99x
Norfolk 1 0.44x
Worcestershire 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Morton in Dumfriesshire leads with 20 Finglands recorded in 1881 and an index of 1834.86x.

Place Total Index
Morton 20 1834.86x
Durrisdeer 11 1929.82x
Tynron 10 4761.90x
Fenwick 8 1355.93x
Govan 7 5.86x
Hopton 7 1555.56x
Auckinleck 6 173.41x
Haslingden 6 81.86x
Penninghame 6 297.03x
South Leith 6 26.67x
Uphall 6 242.92x
Ardrossan 5 129.20x
Closeburn 5 649.35x
Sanquhar 5 431.03x
Wavertree 5 88.18x
Broughton In Salford 4 24.71x
Paisley Middle Church 4 59.44x
Abbey 3 17.00x
Barony 3 2.46x
Newabbey 3 652.17x
Row 3 57.80x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.49x
New Monkland 2 14.02x
Reay 2 178.57x
Sorbie 2 229.89x
Balmaclellan 1 208.33x
Banham 1 172.41x
Borgue 1 172.41x
Canonbie 1 71.43x
Dumfries 1 30.77x
Kilmadock 1 64.94x
Kirkconnell 1 192.31x
Lanark 1 25.77x
Liverpool 1 0.93x
Middlebie 1 101.01x
Muthill 1 114.94x
Yardley 1 20.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Hannah 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
John 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
Ernest 1
Johnothan 1
Robert 1
William 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 Fingland households.

FAQ

Fingland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fingland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 153 people were recorded with the Fingland surname. That placed it at #15,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fingland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Fingland a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Fingland surname mean?

A variation of the topographic surname referring to someone living near a fen or marshy area.

What does the Fingland map show?

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