NameCensus.

UK surname

Finnimore

An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near a border or boundary area.

In the 1881 census there were 150 people recorded with the Finnimore surname, ranking it #15,489 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 232, ranked #17,694, down from #15,489 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Philip and Jacob. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Exeter and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finnimore is 277 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.7%.

1881 census count

150

Ranked #15,489

Modern count

232

2016, ranked #17,694

Peak year

2000

277 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Finnimore had 150 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,489 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 232 in 2016, ranked #17,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 255 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Finnimore surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finnimore surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finnimore 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 96 #21,648
1881 historical 150 #15,489
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 246 #13,269
1911 historical 255 #12,719
1997 modern 251 #15,236
1998 modern 258 #15,354
1999 modern 274 #14,826
2000 modern 277 #14,688
2001 modern 265 #14,915
2002 modern 258 #15,485
2003 modern 251 #15,563
2004 modern 261 #15,274
2005 modern 259 #15,294
2006 modern 257 #15,448
2007 modern 242 #16,296
2008 modern 238 #16,640
2009 modern 247 #16,549
2010 modern 255 #16,563
2011 modern 252 #16,543
2012 modern 245 #16,745
2013 modern 246 #16,979
2014 modern 245 #17,140
2015 modern 236 #17,477
2016 modern 232 #17,694

Geography

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Where Finnimores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Philip and Jacob, St Pancras and Broad Clist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Exeter, Birmingham and West Devon. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Broad Clist Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
2 Exeter 012 Exeter
3 Birmingham 089 Birmingham
4 Cornwall 006 Cornwall
5 West Devon 007 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finnimore

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finnimore

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Finnimore surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Finnimore household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Finnimore 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

Finnimore 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

Finnimore falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Finnimore 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 Finnimore, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Finnimore

The surname Finnimore is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "fin" meaning "boundary" or "border," and "mor" meaning "moor" or "marsh." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a marshy border area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Finnimore can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Finnimor," suggesting that this spelling variation existed in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, a man named William Finnimore was recorded as a landholder in the county of Dorset. This indicates that the name had become established in this region by that time.

During the 16th century, the name Finnimore appeared in various records in the counties of Somerset and Devon. For example, a John Finnimore was born in the village of Chard, Somerset, in 1542.

One notable bearer of the Finnimore name was Richard Finnimore, a merchant and politician who lived in Bristol in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He served as Mayor of Bristol in 1693 and was a Member of Parliament for the city from 1701 to 1705.

Another individual of historical significance was James Finnimore, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1776 and rose to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy, distinguishing himself in several battles against the French.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Finnimore name was William Finnimore, a scholar and author born in 1828. He wrote several books on literature and history, including a well-regarded biography of the poet John Milton.

It is worth noting that the surname Finnimore has also been associated with place names in England, such as Finnimore Vale, a valley located in the county of Dorset. This further reinforces the connection between the name and geographical features related to marshes and borders.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finnimore families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finnimore 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. Middlesex leads with 47 Finnimores recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.19x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 47 3.19x
Devon 40 13.05x
Gloucestershire 20 6.92x
Surrey 13 1.81x
Staffordshire 10 2.01x
Lancashire 9 0.51x
Worcestershire 6 3.12x
Warwickshire 4 1.08x
Kent 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 5.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 15 Finnimores recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.15x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 55.15x
Acton 9 104.29x
Hornsey 9 48.31x
Exeter Heavitree 7 305.68x
Exeter Alphington 6 1071.43x
Hillingdon 6 127.66x
Newington 6 11.03x
North Petherwyn 6 1395.35x
Salford 6 11.67x
St Pancras London 6 5.06x
Broad Clist 5 471.70x
Paddington London 5 9.23x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 21.17x
Silverton 5 781.25x
St Martin In Fields 5 56.69x
Walsall Foreign 5 19.47x
Wolverhampton 5 13.08x
Yardley 5 101.63x
Aston 4 3.91x
Lambeth 4 3.11x
Gorton 3 18.26x
Bermondsey 2 4.56x
Exeter St Mary Major 2 108.11x
Gloucester St Mary Crypt 2 454.55x
Horfield 2 68.73x
Plymouth Charles The 2 14.80x
Shoreditch London 2 3.13x
St George Hanover Square 2 7.71x
St Giles Cripplegate 2 102.04x
Cheltenham 1 4.49x
Colebrooke 1 277.78x
Islington London 1 0.70x
Kings Norton 1 5.80x
Royal Navy 1 6.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 3.37x
Whitestone 1 434.78x
Woolwich 1 5.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 11
John 11
William 9
Charles 6
James 5
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Edwd. 2
Harry 2
Jabez 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Abel 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Chistopher 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Richd. 1
Septimus 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Finnimore surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finnimore surname in 1881?

In 1881, 150 people were recorded with the Finnimore surname. That placed it at #15,489 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finnimore surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 232 in 2016. That gives Finnimore a modern rank of #17,694.

What does the Finnimore surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone who lived near a border or boundary area.

What does the Finnimore map show?

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