Finn - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Finn
Meaning: “fair, bright”
Traditional stronghold: Sligo, Monaghan
Pronunciation: FIN; Irish Ó Finn: oh FIN
History of the Finn name
Ó Finn derives from fionn, 'fair' or 'fair-haired', one of the oldest and most resonant elements in Gaelic naming, borne by the legendary Fionn mac Cumhaill. As a surname it belonged to more than one sept: the best documented were lords of Calry by Lough Gill in County Sligo, while another Ó Finn family belonged to the Oriel territory of Monaghan, and the name also occurs early in Munster. The anglicised form dropped the O almost everywhere. Finn remains scattered rather than concentrated, with Sligo, Mayo, Monaghan and Cork all showing old roots, and it travelled widely in the diaspora, where its brevity helped it survive unaltered.
Variants: O'Finn · Fynn
Famous bearers of the name
- Jimmy Finn - Tipperary hurler who captained the 1951 All-Ireland champions and was named on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century.
- Neil Finn - New Zealand songwriter of Irish descent, leader of Crowded House.
- Tim Finn - New Zealand musician of Irish descent, co-founder of Split Enz.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Connolly · McGowan · Duffy · McMahon · Boland · Higgins · Feeney · McKenna