2000
#1,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,919
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.27
Uncommon Last name
Finney
A surname of Irish origin referring to a fair-haired person or a descendant of a fair-haired ancestor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,594 Americans carry the last name Finney. That puts it at #2,190 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,434 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Finney surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Finney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,434
Census rank
#2,190
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,215 bearers of the surname Finney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2190th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Finney, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Finney
The surname Finney originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "fin" meaning a marsh or fen, indicating that the name originated as a place name for someone who lived near a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1165, where it appears as "de Fenia." This spelling suggests that the name was initially pronounced with a long "e" sound. Over time, it evolved into the modern spelling of Finney.
The name is also associated with the village of Finney in Lancashire, which was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Finehedia." This place name is believed to have influenced the development of the surname in that region.
In the 13th century, there are records of a Walter de Feneye in Staffordshire, and in the 14th century, a John de Fynney appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire. These early examples show the variations in spelling that were common before standardized spelling became more widespread.
Notable individuals with the surname Finney include:
1. Albert Finney (1936-2019), an English actor known for his roles in films such as "Tom Jones" and "Erin Brockovich."
2. Charles Finney (1792-1875), an American Presbyterian minister and leader of the Second Great Awakening religious revival movement.
3. John Finney (1884-1940), an English professional footballer who played for Manchester City and represented England.
4. Ross Finney (1906-1997), an American composer and educator known for his orchestral and chamber works.
5. Jack Finney (1911-1995), an American author best known for his novels "The Body Snatchers" and "Time and Again."
These examples demonstrate the widespread use and prominence of the Finney surname across various fields and time periods, solidifying its place in the historical record.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Finney
Among Census respondents with the surname Finney, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Finney bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Finney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.8% · 10,997
- Black or African American22.4% · 3,639
- Two or more races5.2% · 850
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 503
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Finney
Finney appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,939
+20 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 5.74
Rank movement Down 189 places
2020
#2,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,215
-724 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 5.42
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,950 | 16,919 | 6.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,139 | 16,939 | 5.74 | +20 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 189 places |
| 2020 | #2,190 | 16,215 | 5.42 | -724 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 51 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Finney surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,139 | #2,190 | -2.4% |
| Count | 16,939 | 16,215 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.74 | 5.42 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Finney bearers went from 16,939 to 16,215 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,139 to #2,190.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Finney
FAQ
Finney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Finney?
Name Census estimates that about 18,594 living Americans carry the surname Finney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,434 residents.
How common is Finney?
Finney ranks #2,190 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,215 people with the surname Finney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Finney.
Has Finney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Finney went from 16,939 recorded bearers to 16,215. That is a decrease of 724 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,139 to #2,190.
What does the Census say about the background of Finney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Finney, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Finney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.8% (10,997 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Finney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.8%), Black (22.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Finney (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Finney mean?
A surname of Irish origin referring to a fair-haired person or a descendant of a fair-haired ancestor. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Finney (5.42 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Finney?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Finney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.