Finnegan Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Finnegan last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Finnegan last name
Meaning of the Finnegan last name: descendant of Fionnagán ("little fair one"). Finnegan comes from the Gaelic Ó Fionnagáin, descendant of Fionnagán, a name meaning little fair one. It is found across Ireland. A curious detail: James Joyce gave the name worldwide fame with his novel Finnegans Wake.
Arms associated with the Finnegan name
Irish shields often use green and gold, colours linked with the land and good fortune, a tradition the Finnegan name belongs to.
Get your full Finnegan family history
This is only a glimpse of the Finnegan story. The full Finnegan history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Finnegan coat of arms. Get the full Finnegan report.
Finnegan name FAQ
What does the Finnegan name mean?
Descendant of Fionnagán ("little fair one"). Common variants include Finegan, Finnigan, O'Finnegan.
Where does the Finnegan surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Scotland.
Is there a Finnegan coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Finnegan coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.