Finnings History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Finnings 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 Finnings 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 Finnings family

The surname Finnings 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 Finnings family

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

Finnings 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 Finnings include Vining, Vineham, Viney, Vinny, Finning, Finnings and others.

Early Notables of the Finnings family

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

Migration of the Finnings family

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 Finnings or a variant listed above: John Vining settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; Jonathon Vining settled in Virginia in 1635; Mathew Vining settled in Barbados in 1654; William Vining arrived in New York in 1822.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)