NameCensus.

UK surname

Finlinson

A Swedish surname derived from a patronymic form of the personal name Finley.

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Finlinson surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Arlecdon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Allerdale and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finlinson is 174 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.1%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2002

174 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Finlinson had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Finlinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finlinson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finlinson 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 163 #20,698
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 155 #21,352
2005 modern 147 #22,057
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 150 #22,937
2010 modern 154 #23,082
2011 modern 153 #22,996
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 155 #23,108
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 160 #22,701
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Finlinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell, Carlisle St Cuthbert, Arlecdon, Gateshead and Godstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Allerdale, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland and Northumberland. 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 Basingstoke, Basing, Eastrop, Newnham, Nately Scures, Up Nately, Andwell Hampshire
2 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 Arlecdon Cumberland
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Godstone Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 019 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Sunderland 012 Sunderland
5 Northumberland 039 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finlinson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finlinson

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Finlinson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Finlinson 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Finlinson is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Finlinson is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Finlinson

The surname Finlinson has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "finn" and "lundi," which together mean "Finnish grove" or "Finnish meadow." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who lived in areas with Finnish settlements or those who had connections to Finnish communities.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Finlinson can be found in the Swedish church records from the late 1500s. One notable entry is the baptism of a child named Lars Finlinson in the parish of Sollentuna, near Stockholm, in 1592. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Uppland and Södermanland during this period.

In the 17th century, the surname Finlinson began to appear in various historical documents, including land records and legal proceedings. One such document is the Oxenstierna family archives from 1625, which mentions a man named Nils Finlinson who was involved in a property dispute.

During the 18th century, the spelling of the name underwent several variations, including Finnlinson, Finlinsson, and Finlinzen. One notable individual from this era was Johan Finlinson (1712-1789), a merchant and ship owner from Gävle, a coastal town in eastern Sweden.

As the Swedish empire expanded its influence in the Baltic region, the name Finlinson also found its way into the historical records of countries like Finland and Estonia. In the 19th century, a Finnish soldier named Lauri Finlinson (1825-1897) gained recognition for his bravery during the Crimean War.

Other notable individuals with the surname Finlinson include:

1. Ingrid Finlinson (1870-1948), a Swedish author and feminist activist. 2. Erik Finlinson (1892-1976), a Swedish-American engineer and inventor who developed early technologies for air conditioning systems. 3. Karin Finlinson (1920-2008), a Swedish-born artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings. 4. Magnus Finlinson (1938-2011), a Swedish historian and professor at Uppsala University, renowned for his research on medieval Scandinavia. 5. Lena Finlinson (born 1972), a contemporary Swedish fashion designer and entrepreneur.

While the surname Finlinson may have evolved over time and spread to various regions, its roots can be traced back to the Finnish-Swedish connections in the heart of Scandinavia, reflecting the rich cultural histories and migrations that have shaped the region's heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finlinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finlinson 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. Cumberland leads with 49 Finlinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.94x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 49 58.94x
Surrey 13 2.76x
Hampshire 10 5.05x
Yorkshire 8 0.84x
Lancashire 7 0.61x
Durham 4 1.39x
Kent 4 1.21x
Bedfordshire 3 6.00x
Sussex 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Godstone in Surrey leads with 12 Finlinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Godstone 12 1428.57x
Aikton 9 3461.54x
Basingstoke 9 394.74x
Crosscanonby 7 254.55x
Egremont 7 353.54x
Huddersfield 7 50.22x
St Cuthbert Within 7 729.17x
St Cuthbert W O 5 123.46x
Arlecdon 4 181.00x
Deptford St Paul 4 15.74x
Everton 4 10.96x
Gateshead 4 18.60x
Caldewgate 3 65.93x
Luton 3 34.68x
Kirkdale 2 10.38x
Whitehaven 2 45.15x
Wigton 2 160.00x
Camberwell 1 1.62x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 16.23x
Lamplugh 1 238.10x
Monk Sherborne 1 625.00x
Sandwith 1 833.33x
Shipley 1 270.27x
Toxteth Park 1 2.58x
Westward 1 285.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 5
James 4
Arthur 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Bernard 1
Boucher 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Jackson 1
Jones 1
Jos. 1
Joshua 1
Mason 1
Nicholis 1
Norman 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Thomas 1
Tomlinson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Finlinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finlinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Finlinson surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finlinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Finlinson a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Finlinson surname mean?

A Swedish surname derived from a patronymic form of the personal name Finley.

What does the Finlinson map show?

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