Surname Finegan - Meaning and Origin

Finegan: What does the surname Finegan mean?

The last name Finegan is believed to be of Irish and Scottish origin. Derived from the Gaelic name MacFhionnagain, meaning 'son of the fair one', it is closely associated with the Clan Fingalian in County Fermanagh.

The earliest record of the name is the 13th century Fyanagan family who were granted lands by King Robert the Bruce in County Antrim. Traditionally, the Finegan name is said to mean 'fair-haired' or 'fair-spirited'.

The name has evolved over time to include variant spellings such as Finagan, Findigan and Finnegan.

Finegan is a fairly common Irish surname, particularly in Northern Ireland. It is also recorded with some frequency in Scotland, England, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Aside from being a noteworthy surname, Finegan is a place name in County Leitrim, Ireland, and also the title of various Irish tunes, most of which have been popularized over the years.

The Finegan name has a long and proud heritage, and continues to be carried by families around the world. As such, it can be seen as a symbol of Irish and Scottish independence, resilience and strength.

Finegan: Where does the name Finegan come from?

The last name Finegan is not particularly common today. It originated with Irish immigrants to either the United States or the United Kingdom. In the United States, the 2000 census revealed 7,129 individuals carrying the surname Finegan. The states with the most of those individuals were New Jersey, California, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Florida. In the United Kingdom, the most recent census reported 1,489 people with the surname Finegan. The majority of Finegans were found in Northern Ireland, with fewer in Scotland, Wales, and England.

For those of Irish origin, the surname is typically found in the area of County Kilkenny and was derived from the O'Finegans, a sub-sept of the O'Morchoe clan. The name would have most likely been derived from a personal name such as Fionnagán, which translates from the Gaelic to mean white hawthorn.

In Australia, Finegan is not as common; only 476 people reported the surname in the 2016 census. Most of those bearing the name were in the state of Queensland, though there were also some individuals living in New South Wales and Victoria.

All in all, the Finegan surname is not common today, but it does appear to still exist in certain parts of the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland.

Variations of the surname Finegan

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Finegan include:

• Finigan

• Finnegan

• Fingin

• Fingan

• Finningan

• Finnigan

• Finnican

• Findlay

• Finan

• Finey

• Finish

• Finn

• Finucane

• Findon

• Finnach

• Fineran

• Finghin

• Fingon

• Finley

• Finguy

• Finneacy

• Fingoe

• Finman

• Fynnegon

• Finnich

• Fynoe

• Fynnegan

• Fionnaghan

• Fionagan

• Finnugan

• Finvar

• Finaghty

• Fionach

• Finghin

• Fionnchadha

• Finneheid

• Finupp

• Finagh

• Fingh

• Finneron

• Finguyen

• Finnian

• Fingon

The surname Finegan likely originates from the Irish surname, Ó Fineigain, which translates into English as “son of Fineigain”. Fineigain is derived from the old Irish word fine, which means “army”. This origin for the surname likely suggests that the original bearer of the name was a soldier or relative of an important military leader in a past era.

Other possibilities for the origin of the surname Finegan include derivation from a place name with the element “fine” in it. Place names such as Finveigh, Finvyogh or Finvoy, which are located in Ireland, are thought to be possible sources of the surname.

On the Isle of Man, the surname Finegan could have originated from the Scottish form of the Celtic surname MacFhionagain (meaning "son of Fionagan"). The Finnish variant, Villiaine, is derived from the Old Norse personal name Vilikki.

Regardless of origin, Finegan is a popular and widespread surname across many countries today.

Famous people with the name Finegan

• Kit Finegan, former Irish politician.
• Neal Finegan, current Pittsburgh Steelers football coach.
• Justin Finegan, former professional tennis player.
• Bob Finegan, former ice hockey player.
• Ryan Finegan, American Paralympic wheelchair rugby player and Army veteran.
• Strider Finegan, Irish singer and actor.
• Meg Finegan, American screenwriter and producer.
• Faith Ireland Finegan, Irish swimmer.
• Richard Finegan, Australian poet and playwright.
• Sallypath Finegan, Irish actor and singer.
• Jeff Finegan, American broadcast news journalist.
• Dryden Finegan, Australian filmmaker and screenwriter.
• Hennessey Finegan, American football player.
• Dean Finegan, Australian professional golfer.
• Jack Finegan, American military officer and aviator.
• John B. Finegan, American bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.
• Bart Finegan, lead singer of the band Social Dilemma.
• Ellen Finegan, Broadway dancer, actor, and Choreographer.
• William S. Finegan, American composer and arranger.
• Stephen Finegan, Irish polo player and stud farmer.

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