Finnell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The Picts were the ancient Scottish tribe where the ancestors of the Finnell family lived. The name Finnell comes from the Gaelic Fionnlagh which is often Anglicized to fair hero.

Early Origins of the Finnell family

The surname Finnell 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 Finnell family

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

Finnell Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Finnell has been spelled Findlay, Findlow, Findlaw, Finley, Finlay and others.

Early Notables of the Finnell family (pre 1700)

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

Finnell Ranking

In the United States, the name Finnell is the 8,741^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. ^[1]

Migration of the Finnell family to Ireland

Some of the Finnell 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.

Finnell migration to the United States +

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Finnell:

Finnell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Finnell, who arrived in New York in 1853 ^[2]
Daniel Finnell, aged 33, who arrived in New York, NY in 1854 ^[2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Finnell (post 1700) +

John W. Finnell, American politician, Secretary of State of Kentucky, 1848-51 ^[3]
Charles Finnell, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 68th District, 1998 ^[3]

The Finnell 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.

Citations +

^ https://namecensus.com/most_common_surnames.htm
^ 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 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html