What We Know About the Finn Surname

Finn began as an Irish family name. Smith's 1956 dictionary gives the meaning “descendant of little Fionn (fair)”.

Family crest and blazon

There is no single Finn family crest for all bearers; the honest first step is to find out which Finn line, if any, bore arms.

Where the name comes from

Like many surnames, it grew out of a personal name. Smith also lists Finne and Fynn.

The Census Bureau's 2010 surname file lists Finn with 20,852 bearers, at rank 1,721. Similar-sounding surnames on Herald Lab: Fenn and Fine. For the full story, order the Finn surname pack.