Explore the Family Name Finney
The meaning of Finney
1. English: habitational name from any of several places called from Old English and Old Norse finn ‘coarse grass’ + Old English (ge)hæg ‘enclosure’ or ēg ‘island, land partly surrounded by water’, such as the lost place Fynney in Cheddleton, Staffordshire (recorded as Fyneye in 1320), Fenay in Almondbury (Yorkshire), Finney in Croston (Lancashire), Finney Hill in Kingsley (Cheshire), and perhaps also Fenny Rough in Chaddesley Corbett (Worcestershire). Compare Feeney. 2. English: habitational name perhaps also from Vinals Farm in Cuckfield or Vinehall in Mountfield (both in Sussex), or Viney’s Wood in Crundale (Kent); or from some other place described in Middle English as a fin-haw (Old English fīn-haga) ‘wood-heap enclosure’. 3. Irish: from Ó Fidhne, see Feeney 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Finney in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Finney saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 1950th most popular name with approximatley 16,919 individuals bearing it. However, by 2010, the rank dropped to 2139, indicating a popularity decline of nearly 9.69%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of people with the Finney surname increased marginally by 0.12% to 16,939 during the same period. The proportion per 100,000 also decreased by 8.45%, going from 6.27 to 5.74.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,950 | #2,139 | -9.69% |
| Count | 16,919 | 16,939 | 0.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.27 | 5.74 | -8.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Finney
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Finney also experienced some changes from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority of individuals identifying as White slightly decreased from 72.09% to 70.41%. Those identifying as Black remained fairly consistent, increasing slightly from 23.28% to 23.30%. There were significant increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, up 35.19% from 0.54% to 0.73%, and those identifying with two or more races, which increased by 31.58% from 2.09% to 2.75%. Individuals identifying as Hispanic also saw a notable increase of 60.28%, moving from 1.41% to 2.26%. However, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased slightly from 0.59% to 0.55% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.09% | 70.41% | -2.33% |
| Black | 23.28% | 23.3% | 0.09% |
| Two or More Races | 2.09% | 2.75% | 31.58% |
| Hispanic | 1.41% | 2.26% | 60.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.73% | 35.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.55% | -6.78% |
Finney ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Finney is British & Irish, which comprises 54.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Nigerian (3.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.5% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Nigerian | 3.1% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Finney
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Finney have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
What Finney haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Finney is R-MC21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-MC21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS6889 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morrison, Cooper, Patterson, Lyons, Richards, Thompson, Hall, White, Smith, Clark.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Finney surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Finney have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Finney" Surname 40.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Finney" Surname 26.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Finney" Surname 26.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Finney" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Finney?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Finney are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition