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Finlay Family History

Finlay Name Meaning

Scottish and Irish: variant of Finley

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


Similar surnames: Findlay, Fenley, Findley, Dunlay, Finley, Finnan, Linley, Kinlaw

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 1911 there were 137 Finlay families living in Ontario. This was about 40% of all the recorded Finlay's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Finlay families in 1911.
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.

What did your Finlay ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Finlay. 37% of Finlay men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Finlay women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Finlay were Carpenter and Domestic. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    37%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    25%
  • Stenographer
    25%
  • Income
    17%
  • Domestic
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Finlay family tree

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