Finck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

From the historical and enchanting region of Austria emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Finck family. Originally, the Austrian people were known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted in Austria is extremely interesting. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an "eke-name," or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name Finck is a nickname type of surname for a cheerful person who sings songs. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the German word fink, which means finch, which is a type of small bird.

Early Origins of the Finck family

The surname Finck was first found in Austria, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Finck family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Finck research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1445, 1527, 1718, 1766, 1783, 1792, 1804, 1808, 1809, 1820, 1827, 1841, 1842 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Finck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Finck Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Finck include Finck, Fincke, Finckl (Bavaria), Finncke, Fink, Finke, Finkl, Finke and many more.

Early Notables of the Finck family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Finck were

Heinrich Finck (1445-1527), who was composer and court musician for both Polish and German princes. Friedrich August von Finck (1718-1766) was a Prussian soldier who served in the Danish and Russian f...

Finck Ranking

In the United States, the name Finck is the 14,073^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Finck is ranked the 3,321^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2

Finck migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Finck or a variant listed above:

Finck Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andreas Finck, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Frantz Finck, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Frantz Finck, who settled in New York State in 1710-11
Johann Wilhelm Finck, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 3
Johann Nickel Finck, aged 33, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1737 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Finck Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ernst Karl Friedrich Finck, aged 32, who arrived in America in 1839 3
Friedrich Wilhelm Finck, aged 29, who landed in America in 1839 3
John Finck, who landed in Ohio in 1840 3
Katharine Josefa Finck, who arrived in South America in 1847 3
A Finck, aged 25, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Finck Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Friedrich Finck, aged 22, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 3
Johann Finck, aged 11, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Finck (post 1700) +

Robin Finck (b. 1971), American rock guitarist who worked with Guns N' Roses and Nine Inch Nails
William Edward Finck (1822-1901), American politician, Representative from Ohio 12th District, 1863-67, 1874-75; Democratic Candidate for justice of Ohio State Supreme Court, 1868 4
Edward Finck, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 12th District, 1933, 1934 4
Andrew Finck Jr., American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Tryon County, 1782-83; Member of New York State Senate Western District, 1783-87 4
Hermann Finck (1527-1558), German composer, music theorist and organist of the Renaissance
Werner Finck (1902-1978), German comedian
Heinrich Finck (1445-1527), German composer
Friedrich August von Finck (1718-1766), Prussian soldier and writer

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html