NameCensus.

UK surname

Finnerty

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Fionnachta," meaning "descendant of Fionnachta," a personal name meaning "white snow."

In the 1881 census there were 166 people recorded with the Finnerty surname, ranking it #14,496 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,011, ranked #5,754, up from #14,496 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Barnsley and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finnerty is 1,031 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 509.0%.

1881 census count

166

Ranked #14,496

Modern count

1,011

2016, ranked #5,754

Peak year

2011

1,031 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Finnerty had 166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,496 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,011 in 2016, ranked #5,754.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 375 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Finnerty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finnerty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finnerty 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 166 #14,496
1891 historical 256 #12,522
1901 historical 375 #9,917
1911 historical 374 #9,770
1997 modern 907 #5,936
1998 modern 947 #5,920
1999 modern 948 #5,955
2000 modern 933 #6,020
2001 modern 915 #6,007
2002 modern 942 #5,968
2003 modern 909 #6,037
2004 modern 915 #6,006
2005 modern 932 #5,866
2006 modern 931 #5,881
2007 modern 937 #5,908
2008 modern 927 #6,001
2009 modern 982 #5,846
2010 modern 1,013 #5,828
2011 modern 1,031 #5,678
2012 modern 998 #5,741
2013 modern 1,012 #5,763
2014 modern 1,021 #5,761
2015 modern 1,004 #5,788
2016 modern 1,011 #5,754

Geography

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Where Finnertys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury, Stockport, Liverpool and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Barnsley, Rochdale and Rossendale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Stockport Cheshire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 026 Wakefield
2 Barnsley 001 Barnsley
3 Barnsley 002 Barnsley
4 Rochdale 010 Rochdale
5 Rossendale 008 Rossendale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finnerty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finnerty

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Finnerty, 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 Finnerty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Finnerty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Finnerty is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Finnerty is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Finnerty falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Finnerty 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Finnerty

The surname Finnerty is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Fionnachta, derived from the personal name Fionnachta, which means "fair fighter" or "white warrior." This name originated in County Galway, Ireland, during the Middle Ages, and it is believed to have been first adopted by a descendant of the Ó Fionnachta family, a prominent clan in the region.

The earliest known record of the name Finnerty dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. It is possible that the name was also mentioned in earlier documents or manuscripts, such as the Domesday Book, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Finnerty was Seán Ó Fionnachta, who lived in County Galway in the late 16th century. He was known for his role in the Irish Confederate Wars, which took place between 1641 and 1653.

Another notable figure with the name Finnerty was Patrick Finnerty (1798-1879), an Irish-American Catholic priest and author. He was born in County Galway and later immigrated to the United States, where he served as a priest in New York and Philadelphia.

In the 19th century, the name Finnerty was associated with several prominent figures in Ireland and the United States. One of them was William Finnerty (1822-1891), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois.

Additionally, John Finnerty (1839-1909) was an Irish journalist and author who wrote extensively about Irish nationalism and the Irish struggle for independence. He was born in County Galway and later moved to the United States, where he worked as a newspaper editor and published several books.

Another notable individual with the surname Finnerty was Patrick Joseph Finnerty (1884-1958), an Irish-American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Helena, Montana, from 1927 until his death in 1958.

As for place names or older spellings associated with the Finnerty surname, there is a townland called Finnerty in County Galway, which likely derived its name from the Ó Fionnachta clan. Additionally, the name has been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Finnerty, Finnertie, and Finerty.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finnerty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finnerty 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 81 Finnertys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.24x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 81 4.24x
Yorkshire 50 3.14x
Dunbartonshire 8 18.50x
Middlesex 8 0.50x
Cheshire 6 1.69x
Staffordshire 4 0.74x
Durham 3 0.63x
Warwickshire 2 0.49x
Bedfordshire 1 1.20x
Cornwall 1 0.55x
Devon 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bury in Lancashire leads with 21 Finnertys recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.24x.

Place Total Index
Bury 21 96.24x
Sheffield 16 31.51x
Leeds 10 11.10x
Liverpool 10 8.62x
Warrington 10 44.17x
Brightside Bierlow 8 25.58x
Cardross 8 154.14x
Great Bolton 7 27.67x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 11.98x
Bradford 5 55.93x
Northowram 5 44.72x
Stockport 5 27.35x
Dewsbury 4 24.45x
Manchester 4 4.66x
Pennington In Leigh 4 109.29x
St Giles Cripplegate 4 186.92x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 6.94x
Birtley 3 153.85x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 9.89x
Hulme 3 7.52x
Kensington London 3 3.35x
Barton Upon Irwell 2 13.91x
Halifax 2 8.54x
Litherland 2 50.13x
Otley 2 51.68x
Richmond 2 80.32x
Aston 1 0.89x
Birmingham 1 0.74x
Bradford 1 2.59x
Burnley 1 6.22x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 10.43x
Everton 1 1.64x
Exeter St David 1 34.97x
Farnworth 1 8.74x
Islington London 1 0.64x
Macclesfield 1 6.33x
Saltash 1 70.92x
Shefford 1 169.49x
Widnes 1 7.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Ann 9
Bridget 5
Catherine 5
Elizabeth 5
Margaret 4
Kate 3
Anastatia 2
Annie 2
Bridgett 2
Ellen 2
Margret 2
Rose 2
Alice 1
Dora 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Hannah 1
Honora 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Maria 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Finnerty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finnerty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 166 people were recorded with the Finnerty surname. That placed it at #14,496 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finnerty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,011 in 2016. That gives Finnerty a modern rank of #5,754.

What does the Finnerty surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O'Fionnachta," meaning "descendant of Fionnachta," a personal name meaning "white snow."

What does the Finnerty map show?

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