NameCensus.

UK surname

Finigan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Finngaine, meaning "fair-born" or "fair offspring."

In the 1881 census there were 465 people recorded with the Finigan surname, ranking it #7,144 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #7,144 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Havering, Rochdale and Lambeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finigan is 465 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 74.6%.

1881 census count

465

Ranked #7,144

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

1881

465 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Finigan had 465 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,144 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 465 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Finigan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finigan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finigan 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 247 #8,868
1861 historical 169 #13,823
1881 historical 465 #7,144
1891 historical 273 #11,918
1901 historical 245 #13,298
1911 historical 188 #15,550
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 126 #24,094
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 134 #23,358
2001 modern 125 #24,011
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 139 #22,734
2004 modern 142 #22,573
2005 modern 134 #23,406
2006 modern 131 #23,942
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 133 #24,817
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 124 #26,432
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Finigans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Havering, Rochdale, Lambeth, Stroud and Fareham. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Havering 024 Havering
2 Rochdale 023 Rochdale
3 Lambeth 005 Lambeth
4 Stroud 003 Stroud
5 Fareham 003 Fareham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finigan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finigan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Finigan, 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 Finigan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Finigan 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

London Fringe

Within London, Finigan 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

Finigan 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

Finigan falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Finigan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Finigan

The surname Finigan has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is a variant of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Fionnagáin," which is derived from the personal name "Fionnagán," meaning "fair-born" or "white-born."

This name is believed to have originated in County Kerry, located in the southwestern part of Ireland. The Finigan family was among the ancient Gaelic clans that inhabited this region before the Norman invasion in the 12th century.

The surname Finigan can be found in various historical records, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. This work mentions several individuals with the name Finigan or its variants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of letters patent issued by the English Crown during the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1591, a man named Donell Finigan is mentioned in a document related to land grants in County Kerry.

Over the centuries, the surname Finigan has been spelled in various ways, such as Finnegan, Finegan, and Finegin, reflecting the phonetic variations common in Irish names.

Notable individuals with the surname Finigan include:

1. John Finigan (1829-1908), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly in the late 19th century.

2. Michael Finigan (born 1954), an American author and historian known for his works on Irish history and culture.

3. Patrick Finigan (1922-2008), an Irish-born Australian judge who served on the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

4. Eileen Finigan (1924-2012), an American educator and advocate for children's rights, who played a pivotal role in establishing the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act in the United States.

5. James Finigan (1876-1940), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and the New York City Board of Aldermen in the early 20th century.

While the Finigan surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finigan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finigan 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. Lancashire leads with 123 Finigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.29x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 123 2.29x
Middlesex 86 1.90x
Durham 47 3.48x
Lanarkshire 27 1.84x
Angus 22 5.24x
Yorkshire 20 0.44x
Cumberland 16 4.10x
Midlothian 14 2.30x
Surrey 13 0.59x
Staffordshire 11 0.72x
Cheshire 10 1.00x
Berkshire 9 2.64x
Northumberland 9 1.33x
Leicestershire 7 1.39x
West Lothian 7 10.25x
Aberdeenshire 5 1.19x
Essex 5 0.56x
Clackmannanshire 4 10.68x
Norfolk 4 0.57x
Warwickshire 4 0.35x
Kent 3 0.19x
Renfrewshire 3 0.85x
Lincolnshire 2 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.33x
Oxfordshire 2 0.71x
Sussex 2 0.26x
Devon 1 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.82x
Glamorgan 1 0.13x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Northamptonshire 1 0.23x
Selkirkshire 1 2.44x
Wigtownshire 1 1.66x
Wiltshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 47 Finigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.38x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 47 14.38x
Dundee 14 8.92x
Glasgow 13 4.99x
Stockton On Tees 12 18.45x
Whitechapel London 12 26.84x
Manchester 11 4.54x
Bootle Cum Linacre 10 23.40x
Conside Knitsley 10 95.33x
Kirkham 10 140.45x
Islington London 9 2.05x
Kirkdale 9 9.94x
Tilehurst 9 130.81x
Crosscanonby 8 61.92x
Liff Benvie 8 12.54x
Newington 8 4.77x
Oldham 8 4.60x
Preston Quarter 8 73.13x
South Leith 8 11.70x
Spitalfields London 8 23.45x
Bradford 7 6.43x
Clerkenwell London 7 6.54x
Govan 7 1.93x
Stranton 7 15.41x
Uphall 7 93.21x
Leicester St Margaret 6 4.89x
St Luke London 6 8.25x
St Pancras London 6 1.64x
Toxteth Park 6 3.29x
Walsall Foreign 6 7.59x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 6.36x
Barony 5 1.35x
Longbenton 5 17.49x
Newchurch 5 11.36x
St Botolph Aldgate London 5 53.53x
St Clement Danes London 5 53.25x
St Marylebone London 5 2.06x
West Ham 5 2.53x
Bishopwearmouth 4 3.45x
Clackmannan 4 56.50x
Hulme 4 3.56x
Skircoat 4 22.56x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 4 62.31x
Stoke Newington London 4 11.32x
West Derby 4 2.54x
Birkenhead 3 3.76x
Birmingham 3 0.79x
Brinnington 3 32.09x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 3 20.88x
Esh 3 30.55x
Sheffield 3 2.10x
South Lynn 3 38.12x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.75x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 1.85x
Banbury 2 35.65x
Bothwell 2 5.03x
Brighton 2 1.30x
Chiswick 2 8.07x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.68x
Edinburgh Tron Church 2 70.18x
Elswick 2 3.71x
Gateshead 2 1.98x
Houghton Le Spring 2 21.44x
Kensington London 2 0.79x
Leeds 2 0.79x
Middlesbrough 2 3.42x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.26x
Port Glasgow 2 11.77x
Runcorn 2 8.66x
Salford 2 1.26x
Southwark St Saviour 2 8.58x
Tixall 2 571.43x
Westhoughton 2 13.93x
Ebchester 1 47.85x
Glen Parva 1 84.75x
Hipperholme Cum 1 5.06x
Mortlake 1 10.15x
Poplar London 1 1.17x
Portpatrick 1 49.51x
Stow 1 169.49x
Westminster St Margaret 1 4.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Catherine 18
Elizabeth 14
Margaret 14
Ellen 12
Ann 11
Sarah 8
Bridget 5
Jane 5
Margt. 5
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Florence 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Cath. 2
Cathrine 2
Eleanor 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Margret 2
Rose 2
Anna 1
Bernerdine 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emily 1
Herne 1
Honor 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Louisa 1
Lucey 1
Lydia 1
Maggie 1
Mar 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Nora 1
Suidonia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Finigan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finigan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 465 people were recorded with the Finigan surname. That placed it at #7,144 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finigan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Finigan a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Finigan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Finngaine, meaning "fair-born" or "fair offspring."

What does the Finigan map show?

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