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Finlay Family History

Finlay Surname Meaning

Scottish and Irish: variant of Finley

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Finlay family from?

You can see how Finlay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Finlay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Finlay families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 270 Finlay families living in Durham. This was about 24% of all the recorded Finlay's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Finlay families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Finlay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Finlay ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Finlay. 19% of Finlay men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Finlay women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Finlay were Bricklayer and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Finlay | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    19%
  • Builders Labourer
    10%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%

What Finlay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 85,000 census records available for the last name Finlay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Finlay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Finlay

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Finlay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Finlay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Finlay. For the veterans among your Finlay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Finlay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Finlay family history

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What is the average Finlay lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Finlay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Finlay in 1946 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Finlay

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Finlay ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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