by Mari Elspeth nic Bryan (Kathleen M. O'Brien)
© 2000-2006 by Kathleen M. O'Brien. All rights reserved.
Version 2.5, updated 09 June 2006
"Fair" (refers either to hair color or to complexion)
What we know as a set of Irish Annals are manuscripts that were each compiled during a particular time period, usually using older material as sources. For example, when the Annals of the Four Masters were written from 1632 to 1636, they covered events that occurred centuries and millenia before (including legendary history). So, when an entry in this set of annals refers to a person who lived in the year 738, the spelling used for that person's name is very likely not using the spelling that would have been used in 738.
Standard forms of this name (based on spelling systems of different periods) would be:
| Middle Irish Gaelic (c900-c1200) nominative form: | Find, Finn |
| Middle Irish Gaelic (c900-c1200) genitive form: | Find, Finn |
| Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c1200-c1700) nominative form: | Fionn |
| Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c1200-c1700) genitive form: | Finn |
| Number of men found in the annals with this name: | 16 |
| Found in Years: | 974, 1126, 1135, 1161, 1260, 1289, 1342, 1362, 1387, 1419, 1422, 1467, 1470, 1476, 1478, 1489, 1490, 1501, 1503, 1508, 1519, 1543, 1544, 1557 |
Woulfe (p. 287 s.n. Fionn) gives the meaning of this byname as "fair".
The meaning "the fair, or fair-haired" is given in regards to a man's name in 1478 (FM vol. 4, p. 1106, footnote "y").
Further information about the byname Finn/Fionn, may be found in:
The Sources page lists the Annals referenced below. Information about secondary sources is included on that page as well.
In the table below, I have separated individuals with a blank line. That is, when there are multiple entries in the annals that refer to a single person, those entries are grouped together.
Within the list of entries refering to a single person, I have sorted the entries primarily by orthography when it is obvious that what I am seeing is the same entry showing up in multiple annals. The entries that tend to use older spellings are listed first.
Special factors which may affect name usage are marked in the context column.
| AN | indicates a member of an Anglo-Norman family |
| E | indicates an Englishman |
| N | indicates a Norseman |
| R | indicates a person holding a religious office |
| S | indicates a person from Scotland |
NOTE: The Annals referenced below under the code letters A, B, C, E, & F tend to use later spellings than the other Annals. In some cases, the spellings listed in these Annals may not be appropriate for the year referenced in the Annal entry.
In some Gaelic scripts, there is a character that looks approximately like a lowercase f,
but without the crossbar. This character (represented by an underscored
Published by the Academy of Saint Gabriel.
[Standardized form of this man's name] Annals Entry Context Citation (formatting preserved) [Brian Fionn Ua Cathain] Co 1501.6 Brian Finn h. Cathain [Domhnall Fionn Ua Flaithbertaigh] Co 1422.5 Domnall Finn h. Flaithbertaig [Domhnall Fionn Mac Horiberd] Co 1419.30 Domnall Finn Mac Horiberd [Domnall Finn Ua Dubda] (d. 1126) B M1126.12 Domhnall Finn Ua Dubhda, tighearna Ua n-Amhalghadha B M1135.20 Amhlaibh, mac Domhnaill Fhinn Uí Dhubhda, tigherna Ua n-Amhalghadha [Donnchad Finn mac Áeda meic Flainn] (d. 974) U U974.3 Donnchad Finn, ri Midhe T T974.1 Dondchadh Fínd, mac Aeda, maic Flaind [Eoghan Fionn Ua Conchobhair] (d. 1362) Co 1362.2 Eogan Find h. Conchobair mac Rig Connacht C M1362.2 Eoghan Fionn Ua Concobhair mac righ Connacht [Fallamhan Fionn Ua Fallamhain] (d. 1161) B M1161.22 Fallamhan Fionn Ua Fallamhain, taoiseach Cloinne h-Uadach [Feidhlim Fionn Ua Conchobhair] Co 1467.10 Feidlim Find Co 1470.6 Cathal mac Fedlim Find Co 1476.15 Derbforgaill ingen Fedhlim Finn h. Conchobair ben h. Conchobair Duinn D M1476.12 Dearbforgaill inghen Feidhlimidh Fhinn Uí Concobhair bean Uí Concobhair Duinn Co 1489.8 Toirdelbach mac Feidhlim Finn h. Conchobair Co 1490.5 O Conchobair Ruad .i. Feidlim Finn E M1503.16 Fheidhlimidh Fhinn Uí Chonchobhair Co 1519.17 Ó Concobair Ruad .i. Eoghan mac Feidhlimidh Finn, ri co fresabhra [Feidhlim Fionn Ua Gallchubhair] Co 1543.11 Toirrdelbaig meic Feidlim Finn hI Gallchubair E M1543.8 Toirrdhealbhach mac Feilim Fhinn Uí Gallchubhair Co 1544.3 mac Fedlim Finn Í Gallchubair E M1544.8 Toirrdhealbhach mac Feilim Finn Co 1544.3 mac Fedlim Finn E M1544.8 mac Fhelim Fhinn E M1557.14 Dhonnchadh mac Feilim Fhinn Uí Ghallchubhair [Giolla Chríost Fionn Mac Cormaic] Co 1342.6 Fergal mac Gilla Crist Finn Meic Cormaic [Goffraidh Fionn Ó Dalaigh] (d. 1387) D M1387.4 Goffraidh Fionn Ó Dalaigh ard-ollamh Ereann [Muircheartach Fionn] Co 1260.2 Aed mac Murcertaig Find [Riocard Fionn mac Uilliam Burc] Co 1289.7 mac Ricairt Finn meic Uilliam Burc [Tadhg Fionn Ua Luinín] (d. 1478) FM vol. 4, p. 1106, 1478 Tad.g fionn ua luinín saoí le leig.es & le seanc.as D M1478.12 Tadhg Fionn Ua Luinín saoí le leighes & le seanchas [Tighearnán Fionn Ua Ruairc] Co 1508.6 Sean mac Tigernain Finn h. Ruairc [Tomás Fionn Mac Muiris] Co 1422.7 Sefrun mac meic Tomas Find Meic Muris