NameCensus.

UK surname

Finning

A surname derived from a Scottish place name meaning "from the Findon" or "from Findon".

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Finning surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edmonton, Cullompton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Castle Point, Herefordshire and Mid Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Finning is 116 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.2%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

1901

116 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 1911

Key insights

  • Finning had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Finning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Finning surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Finning 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 111 #22,421
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 102 #22,465
1997 modern 89 #28,490
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 93 #28,711
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 93 #28,382
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 93 #29,777
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 95 #30,393
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 95 #30,877
2012 modern 86 #32,297
2013 modern 90 #32,146
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Finnings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edmonton, Cullompton, London parishes, Pinhoe and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Castle Point, Herefordshire, Mid Devon and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Cullompton Devon
3 London parishes London 3
4 Pinhoe Devon
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Castle Point 011 Castle Point
2 Herefordshire 007 Herefordshire, County of
3 Mid Devon 001 Mid Devon
4 Mid Devon 007 Mid Devon
5 North East Lincolnshire 006 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Finning

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Finning

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Finning, 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 Finning surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Finning 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Finning is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Finning is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Finning falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Finning is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Finning

The surname Finning has its origins in the British Isles, particularly from England, during the medieval period. It is believed to have evolved in areas including East Anglia and possibly parts of Southern England. The surname is thought to derive from the Old English personal name "Finnan" or "Fin", which may have originally been a descriptive nickname referring to someone with fair or light-colored hair.

The earliest record of the surname Finning can be traced back to the 13th century. Historical manuscripts and old records from this period, such as tax registers and parish records, show various spellings of the name, including Fynning and Fynnynge. One such example is a reference made in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Fynning was noted as a taxpayer.

One of the notable individuals carrying the surname was William Finning, who was born around 1450 and lived during the late 15th century. He was known to be a landowner in Norfolk and was documented in several legal charters of that time. Another early bearer of the surname was Agnes Finning, born circa 1540 in Suffolk. Her marriage record, dated 1560, provides valuable insight into the usage of the surname during the Elizabethan era.

Another significant figure was Thomas Finning, a shipbuilder born in 1658, who hailed from the port town of Harwich. His contributions to maritime trade and shipbuilding in the latter part of the 17th century are well documented, highlighting the Finning surname in local mercantile history.

In the realm of politics, Benjamin Finning, born in 1745, served as a city alderman in Bristol during the American Revolutionary period. His political influence and contributions to municipal reforms were recorded in the council archives of the time.

In the early 19th century, another prominent figure was John Finning, born in 1802. He achieved recognition as an industrialist in the burgeoning textile industry of Manchester. His involvement in early labor movements is chronicled in the industrial records of the 1830s.

The surname Finning encapsulates a rich history, distinguished by its early English origins, evolution in various spellings, and association with influential figures across different sectors over centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Finning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Finning 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 20 Finnings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 2.89x
Devon 19 13.18x
Angus 7 10.91x
Surrey 6 1.78x
Leicestershire 5 6.51x
Essex 4 2.93x
Warwickshire 3 1.72x
Gloucestershire 2 1.47x
Selkirkshire 2 31.95x
Cornwall 1 1.28x
Lanarkshire 1 0.45x
Yorkshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 8 Finnings recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.61x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 8 20.61x
Islington London 8 11.92x
Liff Benvie 7 71.87x
Woodbury 6 1395.35x
Loughborough 5 143.68x
Croydon 4 21.36x
Pinhoe 4 3076.92x
St Pancras London 4 7.18x
West Ham 4 13.26x
Aston 3 6.24x
Whimple 3 1875.00x
Battersea 2 7.85x
Bristol St James In 2 100.00x
Clist St Lawrance 2 6666.67x
Melrose 2 126.58x
Shobrooke 2 1333.33x
Blantyre 1 42.92x
Combeinteignhead 1 1000.00x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 30.30x
Fowey 1 277.78x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 1 31.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Alice 2
Emma 2
Martha 2
Minnie 2
Amy 1
Anna 1
Dinnah 1
Emily 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Mary 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

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 Finning households.

FAQ

Finning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Finning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Finning surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Finning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Finning a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Finning surname mean?

A surname derived from a Scottish place name meaning "from the Findon" or "from Findon".

What does the Finning map show?

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