| ![Show Contents]() Finnane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of FinnaneWhat does the name Finnane mean? The roots of the Finnane 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, Finnane is generally thought to be derived from the Norman personal name Panin. Early Origins of the Finnane familyThe surname Finnane 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 Finnane familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Finnane research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1636, 1651 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Finnane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Finnane Spelling VariationsMedieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Finnane revealed many spelling variations including Feenan, Fanning, Fannin, Fanningley, Fannon, Finan, Finnan, O'Finan and many more. Early Notables of the Finnane familyMore information is included under the topic Early Finnane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Finnane migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Finnane Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Daniel Finnane, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hermione" in 1883
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