NameCensus.

UK surname

Finley

Derived from the Irish place name Fionnloch, meaning "fair-haired courageous one" or "fair warrior."

In the 1881 census there were 826 people recorded with the Finley surname, ranking it #4,553 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,180, ranked #5,036, down from #4,553 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Doncaster and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finley is 1,180 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.9%.

1881 census count

826

Ranked #4,553

Modern count

1,180

2016, ranked #5,036

Peak year

2016

1,180 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Finley had 826 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,553 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,180 in 2016, ranked #5,036.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,087 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Finley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finley 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 675 #3,842
1861 historical 629 #4,260
1881 historical 826 #4,553
1891 historical 814 #4,967
1901 historical 735 #6,027
1911 historical 1,087 #4,266
1997 modern 1,014 #5,436
1998 modern 1,061 #5,403
1999 modern 1,074 #5,384
2000 modern 1,067 #5,393
2001 modern 1,049 #5,371
2002 modern 1,063 #5,420
2003 modern 1,023 #5,495
2004 modern 1,050 #5,387
2005 modern 1,051 #5,328
2006 modern 1,047 #5,362
2007 modern 1,071 #5,297
2008 modern 1,104 #5,200
2009 modern 1,138 #5,176
2010 modern 1,160 #5,197
2011 modern 1,148 #5,187
2012 modern 1,120 #5,207
2013 modern 1,146 #5,193
2014 modern 1,177 #5,110
2015 modern 1,171 #5,079
2016 modern 1,180 #5,036

Geography

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Where Finleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Manchester and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Doncaster, County Durham and Preston. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Copeland 005 Copeland
3 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
4 County Durham 026 County Durham
5 Preston 003 Preston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Finley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Finley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Finley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Finley 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

Finley 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 Finley 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 Finley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Finley

The surname Finley has its origins in Scotland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "fionn" meaning "white" or "fair," and "laith" meaning "warrior" or "champion." The name was likely given to someone with fair hair who was a skilled fighter.

The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of documents recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Finlay" in these rolls.

In the 15th century, the name was recorded as "Fynlay" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

One notable person with the surname Finley was John Finley, born in 1797, who was a Scottish-American explorer and author. He is best known for his expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the early 19th century and his book "Life Among the Indians."

Another prominent figure was Robert Finley, born in 1772, who was a Presbyterian minister and a prominent advocate for the abolition of slavery in the United States. He founded the American Colonization Society in 1816, which aimed to establish a colony in Africa for free African Americans.

In the 18th century, the name was also associated with the Finley family of Staffordshire, England. One member of this family, John Finley, born in 1725, was a renowned clockmaker and inventor who patented several innovative timepiece designs.

The name Finley has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Finleyston in Renfrewshire and Finleyrig in Lanarkshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating the presence of families bearing the name in those areas.

Another notable person with the surname Finley was Samuel Finley, born in 1715, who was a Presbyterian minister and the fifth president of the College of New Jersey, which later became Princeton University. He played a significant role in the development of higher education in the American colonies.

These are just a few examples of the historical prominence and geographical spread of the surname Finley, which has its roots in the Scottish Highlands but has since been carried to various parts of the world by those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finley 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 159 Finleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.66x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 159 1.66x
Durham 133 5.53x
Northumberland 64 5.33x
Yorkshire 60 0.75x
Middlesex 46 0.57x
Cheshire 32 1.79x
Surrey 31 0.79x
Derbyshire 26 2.06x
Kent 26 0.94x
Warwickshire 25 1.23x
Cumberland 23 3.31x
Lanarkshire 22 0.84x
Staffordshire 22 0.81x
Hampshire 20 1.21x
Nottinghamshire 19 1.75x
Angus 15 2.00x
Ayrshire 11 1.82x
Oxfordshire 11 2.21x
Sussex 11 0.81x
Gloucestershire 9 0.57x
Selkirkshire 9 12.32x
Brecknockshire 6 3.71x
Bedfordshire 5 1.20x
West Lothian 5 4.11x
Essex 4 0.25x
Glamorgan 4 0.28x
Hertfordshire 3 0.54x
Monmouthshire 3 0.51x
Somerset 3 0.23x
Wiltshire 3 0.42x
Worcestershire 3 0.28x
Berwickshire 2 2.04x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.92x
Isle of Man 2 1.33x
Suffolk 2 0.20x
Argyllshire 1 0.44x
Berkshire 1 0.16x
Devon 1 0.06x
Fife 1 0.21x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Midlothian 1 0.09x
Shropshire 1 0.14x

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 28 Finleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.81x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 28 4.81x
Aston 22 3.92x
Bishopwearmouth 18 8.73x
Tranmere 18 27.47x
Chirton 17 62.50x
Manchester 16 3.71x
Chorlton On Medlock 15 9.85x
Shoreditch London 15 4.28x
Deptford St Paul 14 6.59x
Hulme 13 6.50x
Merrington 13 280.78x
Nottingham St Mary 13 4.62x
Workington 13 32.65x
Lambeth 12 1.70x
Kingham 11 643.27x
Portsea 11 3.39x
Everton 10 3.27x
Govan 10 1.55x
Hurworth 10 237.53x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 16.05x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 8.65x
Liff Benvie 9 7.92x
Crumpsall 8 35.41x
Esh 8 45.74x
Heworth 8 16.90x
Gate Fulford 7 37.45x
Glossop Dale 7 11.82x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 13.59x
Kingswinford 7 7.07x
Penshaw 7 96.95x
Walsall Foreign 7 4.97x
Withington 7 22.68x
Bermondsey 6 2.50x
Brinnington 6 36.01x
Chaddesden 6 355.03x
Epsom 6 31.28x
Galashiels 6 22.21x
Glasgow 6 1.29x
Leeds 6 1.33x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 6 37.97x
Southwell 6 75.76x
Southwick 6 83.33x
St Pancras London 6 0.92x
St Quivox 6 29.35x
Upper Ystradgynlais 6 451.13x
Wigan 6 4.48x
Windle 6 11.13x
Birtley 5 50.97x
Castleton 5 5.22x
Dalmellington 5 28.14x
Dundee 5 1.79x
East Kilbride 5 44.68x
Healeyfield 5 500.00x
Hexham 5 26.88x
Lewisham 5 3.40x
Linlithgow 5 32.05x
Luton 5 6.91x
Lynesack Softley 5 77.04x
Middlesbrough 5 4.80x
Petersfield 5 109.89x
Pilsley In Chesterfield 5 331.13x
Stockton On Tees 5 4.32x
Sunderland 5 11.78x
Toxteth Park 5 1.54x
Wallsend 5 13.12x
Westminster St James 5 6.02x
Whitworth 5 28.43x
Witton Le Wear 5 73.31x
Woodland 5 312.50x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 1.91x
Atherton 4 11.46x
Blackburn 4 1.57x
Claylane 4 22.75x
Eastbourne 4 6.38x
Greenwich 4 3.11x
Lamesley 4 30.94x
Normanby In 4 18.69x
Stratton 4 208.33x
Tynemouth 4 6.22x
Whitby 4 14.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 59
Thomas 41
William 38
James 34
George 28
Robert 27
Charles 13
Joseph 13
Edward 11
Henry 9
Arthur 7
David 6
Albert 4
Harry 4
Isaac 4
Peter 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Philip 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Christopher 2
Geo. 2
Hugh 2
Joshua 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Wm. 2
Alexr. 1
Alfd. 1
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fred.W. 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.N. 1
Jane 1
Jerimiah 1
Jno. 1
Lary 1
Maria 1
Wm.Robt. 1

FAQ

Finley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 826 people were recorded with the Finley surname. That placed it at #4,553 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,180 in 2016. That gives Finley a modern rank of #5,036.

What does the Finley surname mean?

Derived from the Irish place name Fionnloch, meaning "fair-haired courageous one" or "fair warrior."

What does the Finley map show?

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