NameCensus.

UK surname

Finlan

From Finn's land or a Finnish person.

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Finlan surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 196, ranked #19,848, up from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tamworth, Birmingham and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finlan is 210 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 263.0%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

196

2016, ranked #19,848

Peak year

2010

210 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Finlan had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016, ranked #19,848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 70 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Finlan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finlan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finlan 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 11 #31,309
1861 historical 23 #31,039
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 20 #32,579
1901 historical 49 #28,696
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 186 #19,055
2001 modern 194 #18,287
2002 modern 193 #18,713
2003 modern 189 #18,738
2004 modern 193 #18,622
2005 modern 187 #18,924
2006 modern 182 #19,402
2007 modern 180 #19,745
2008 modern 189 #19,315
2009 modern 196 #19,274
2010 modern 210 #18,836
2011 modern 205 #18,965
2012 modern 200 #19,207
2013 modern 201 #19,454
2014 modern 201 #19,641
2015 modern 197 #19,774
2016 modern 196 #19,848

Geography

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Where Finlans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tamworth, Birmingham and Plymouth. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tamworth 007 Tamworth
2 Birmingham 011 Birmingham
3 Birmingham 038 Birmingham
4 Birmingham 006 Birmingham
5 Plymouth 032 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finlan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finlan

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Finlan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Finlan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Central and City

Within London, Finlan is most associated with areas classed as Central and City, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 high density central neighbourhoods are characterised by high levels of residential turnover. Few children are in evidence. Few individuals experience live with disability, with many in full-time employment or study. Levels of separation or divorce are low relative to the Supergroup average. The workforce is well-educated but not in the top flight of managerial occupations. Levels of affiliation to non-Christian religions are high.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Finlan is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Finlan 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 Finlan 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Finlan

The surname Finlan is an English name believed to have originated in the region of Lancashire, England in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "fin" meaning marsh or fen, and "land" meaning land or territory. This suggests the name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned land in a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, which mentions a John de Fynlande. The name appears to have evolved from this early spelling over time. Other early variations include Fynland, Fynlonde, and Fynelande.

In the 16th century, the name is found in records from the parish of Croston in Lancashire. A notable bearer was John Finlan, born around 1510, who was a landowner and local official in the area. His descendants continued to use the Finlan spelling in subsequent generations.

Another early record is from the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674, which lists a William Finlan in the township of Eccleston, also in Lancashire. This suggests the name was still concentrated in this region during the 17th century.

Moving into the 18th century, the name began to spread more widely across England. One notable bearer was Richard Finlan (1722-1798), a successful merchant and ship owner from Whitehaven, Cumbria. He amassed significant wealth through his maritime trading ventures.

In the 19th century, the Finlan surname can be found in various parts of England, as well as in Ireland and Scotland, likely due to migration. A prominent figure was William Finlan (1818-1894), a British naval officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Rear Admiral.

Other notable individuals with the Finlan surname include John Finlan (1829-1909), an Irish-born journalist and newspaper editor in New York City, and Thomas Finlan (1874-1944), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finlan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finlan 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 33 Finlans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.28x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 33 5.28x
Cheshire 8 6.88x
Staffordshire 7 3.94x
Hampshire 3 2.78x
Inverness-shire 2 12.71x
Middlesex 1 0.19x

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 10 Finlans recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.34x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 10 26.34x
Birkenhead 8 86.30x
Kirkdale 8 76.12x
Blackburn 6 36.08x
Manchester 6 21.34x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 15.92x
Alverstoke 2 51.15x
Inverness 2 50.51x
Wednesfield 2 76.34x
West Derby 2 10.93x
Aldershot 1 27.62x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 10.07x
St Marylebone London 1 3.56x
Warslow Elkstone 1 909.09x
Wolverhampton 1 7.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bridget 3
Eliza 3
Mary 3
Anne 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Cath. 1
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
James 5
Patrick 4
Michael 3
Daniel 2
Hugh 2
Thomas 2
Edward 1
Matthew 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 Finlan households.

FAQ

Finlan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finlan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Finlan surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finlan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016. That gives Finlan a modern rank of #19,848.

What does the Finlan surname mean?

From Finn's land or a Finnish person.

What does the Finlan map show?

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