Fining History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Fining name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the settlement of Fyning in Rogate, in the county of Sussex. The surname Fining belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Fining family

The surname Fining was first found in Winchester where Robert Fininge is generally understood to be the oldest listing of the family as recorded there (1210-1211.)

A few years later, Thomas Finning was listed in Suffolk in 1228 and later, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex listed Alan Fynyng in 1332. Ralph de Vynynge was listed to the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327 and Robert Vinning was listed in Somerset in 1641. 1

Early History of the Fining family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fining research. Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fining History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fining Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Fining include Vining, Vineham, Viney, Vinny, Finning, Finnings and others.

Early Notables of the Fining family

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

Fining migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Fining or a variant listed above:

Fining Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

S Fining, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 2

Fining migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fining Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Peter Fining, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Success" in 1851 3

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SUCESS 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Success.gif