Surname Finz - Meaning and Origin
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Finz: What does the surname Finz mean?
The last name Finz is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name "Finn". It is believed to date back to the 10th century when it was recorded by the Irish and then subsequently by the Normans when they invaded Britain. It is a derivative of Gaelic, Scottish and Irish origins.
At its root, the name Finz originates from a Gaelic personal name meaning “white” or “fair” - The ancestors of those bearing this name were most likely given this nickname due to having a fair complexion. This name was carried to Scotland and then to England when the Anglo-Norman aristocracy arrived after the Norman invasion.
Today, Finz is a common surname, with large populations of people carrying it being located in the United States, Germany, Austria, and across Europe. It is often found in areas of Scotland, particularly in the Ayrshire and Midlothian regions.
In terms of spelling variations, there are several. 'Fingz', 'Fenig', 'Fenwick', and 'Finke' are some of the similar variations of Finz encountered throughout a variety of cultures.
The name Finz is a tribute to its distant past and stands to honor the proud and hardworking individuals that have carried it through the centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisFinz: Where does the name Finz come from?
The Finz surname is most common today in a few countries, particularly in Germany and the United States of America. According to the US Census Bureau's American FactFinder data from 2018, Finz is the 10,466th most common surname in the United States, and has been used by roughly 0.001% of Americans. In 2019, the Last Name Finz was most common in the state of California, where it was ranked the 1,411th most popular name in the state.
In Germany, Finz is ranked the 2,808th most popular name in 2020, making it a slightly more common surname than in the USA. According to the WorldNames PublicProfiler, Finz is also the 854th most common name in Austria, the 3,282nd most common in the Netherlands, and it is found in lower numbers in Switzerland, France, and even in Russia.
Although the Finz surname is most popular in these countries, its origin is unknown. Some researchers suggest that it may be a German surname derived from a similar-sounding word (such as “fing” or “find”) or it could be related to a location somewhere in Europe. Regardless of their origin, the Finz surname is a relatively uncommon one, but it is found in various countries around the world.
Variations of the surname Finz
The surname Finz has several variants, spellings and surnames that all derive from the same origin.
Finz is a Jewish surname, most commonly found in Germany and the United States. In many cases, the spellings or variants stem from how the pronunciation of the name changed from the original German.
The following are some of the spelling variations of Finz: Fins, Finds, Fünz, Funs, Feinz, Feins, Fuenz, Funz and Finze.
Other surnames that have the same origin as Finz include Finzky, Finsky, Finsch and Finscher.
The surname Finz is classed as a ‘Custersname’ ( as opposed to a housename) which is a Dutch name meaning ‘at the edge’. The related surname Finscher can also be Dutch.
In England, Finz can be traced back to the 12th century in Somerset where the name may have been used as an occupational name for a finisher of cloth.
In German, as well as the ‘at the edge’ meaning, the name Finz may also mean ‘from the Finz’ which could refer to the name of a river or a place. Other German meanings for Finz include ‘the fin recursive’, ‘gaming’, ‘six’, ‘figure’ and ‘nine’.
Surnames related to the Finz, such as Feinz, may also have ‘the fin recursive’ as a German meaning. Feinz can also mean ‘the fine one’.
Although Finz is mostly found in Germany and America, there are also some cases of this surname in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. In these countries, the surname is likely to be spelled with the standard spelling with an ‘s’ or finsch with the ‘sch’ reflecting the original German pronunciation.
Overall, the variants, spellings and surnames of Finz show the variety of interpretations of the surname which has been found in several countries.
Famous people with the name Finz
- Scott Finzel, professional American BMX cyclist
- Mel Finzel, Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Mike Finzel, former Professional American Football running back
- Joachim Finz, German ice hockey forward
- Robert Finz, American Contemporary Sculptor
- Tom Finzel, American Art Director
- Larry Finzel, Canadian Professional ice hockey player
- Richard Finz, German Olympic cyclist
- Felix Finz, Israeli Painter
- Rebecca Finz, Swedish contemporary artist
- Mark Finz, American Retired Comic Book Artist
- Gretchen Finz, American Retired News Correspondent
- Jakob Finz, Austrian Music Composer
- Matthew Finz, French actor
- Eva Finz, German feminist activist
- LaBaron Finz, American Member of the Muscogee Nation of Florida
- Willi Finz, German Olympic equestrian
- Darrin Finz, American Film and Television Actor
- Christian Finz, Folksinger from Germany
- Craig Finz, Australian Musician