| ![Show Contents]() Finent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of FinentWhat does the name Finent mean? The roots of the Finent surname in Ireland are somewhat unclear; it seems that the name was both native Irish Gaelic, and Norman. The Gaelic name ó Fionnáin seems to be derived from Gaelic word "fionn," which means "fair," and has been Anglicized as "Finan" and "Fanning," both of which are Norman names that came to Ireland in the 12th century. As a Norman name, Finent is generally thought to be derived from the Norman personal name Panin. Early Origins of the Finent familyThe surname Finent was first found in Limerick (Irish: Luimneach) located in Southwestern Ireland, in the province of Munster, where Fanningstoown, previously known as Ballyfanning can be found, as well as in neighboring Tipperary where this Norman family settled at Ballingarry. 1 One line of thinking is that they were originally from Fainent in Normandy, and arrived in England during the Norman Conquest of 1066, and came to Ireland in the 12th century. 2 Saint Finan (d. 661), was ordained in Scotland according to the rites of the Columban church. His diocese at Lindisfarne embraced nearly all Northumbria. He rose to become Bishop of Lindisfarne and and succeeded in the see of Lindisfarne in 652. 3 In England, Thomas Fannyng was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1405 where it is possibly a variant of Fenning. 4 David Fenning was listed in Norfolk c. 1248 and John ffening was recorded there in 1290. 4 Early History of the Finent familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Finent research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1636, 1651 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Finent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Finent Spelling VariationsDuring an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Finent include Feenan, Fanning, Fannin, Fanningley, Fannon, Finan, Finnan, O'Finan and many more. Early Notables of the Finent familyMore information is included under the topic Early Finent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Finent familyIreland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Finent: Edmund Fanning, who settled in New London, CT in 1653; Andrew Fanning, who settled in New England in 1678; John Fanning, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1766.
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- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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