Finneley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the Finneley family were part of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The name Finneley is derived from the Gaelic Fionnlagh which is often Anglicized to fair hero.

Early Origins of the Finneley family

The surname Finneley was first found in Banffshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhanbh), former Scottish county located in the northeasterly Grampian region of Scotland, now of divided between the Council Areas of Moray and Aberdeenshire, where they were descended from the Chiefs of the Clan Farquharson, one of the great federation of 26 Clans, known as the Clan Chattan.

Early History of the Finneley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Finneley research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1547, 1629, 1755, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Finneley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Finneley Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Finneley has been spelled Findlay, Findlow, Findlaw, Finley, Finlay and others.

Early Notables of the Finneley family

More information is included under the topic Early Finneley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Finneley family to Ireland

Some of the Finneley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Finneley family

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Finneley: James Finley who settled in Halifax Nova Scotia in 1810; he was married at St. John's Newfoundland; Margaret Finlay settled at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in 1825.

The Finneley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortis in arduis
Motto Translation: Brave in difficulties.