Finney
An English and Scottish surname that likely began as a diminutive of Phin/Finn, with a possible secondary link to the adjective “fine.”
The #2,139 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,227 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually explained as a diminutive or descendant of the personal name Phin or Finn. In the historical sources, Bardsley treats Finney as a form built from Phin, with Phin itself recorded in Domesday-era evidence. A second, less certain explanation links it to the nickname or byname "the fine" in the sense of refined, delicate, or exquisite. The surname may therefore have more than one origin stream, depending on the family.
History
The name appears in English records, and Bardsley specifically warns not to confuse the English form with a Scottish Finney. Later surname dictionaries also cross-reference Finney with related names such as Finn, Finne, and Finney-like spellings, suggesting a cluster of interchangeable medieval forms. In modern use, Finney is established in both Britain and the United States, where it is relatively uncommon but well distributed.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley notes an early Domesday-era personal name Phin, which helps explain why Finney and Phinney are sometimes treated as related family names.
From the historical record
“PHINNJ'-'^'""- PHINNEY, V. Finney. PHIPP, a dim. (assim.) form of Philip, q.v. PHIPPtN \ =, Phipp (q.v.) + the Fr. dim. PHIPPIN J suff. -«■«.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)