Where does the name Finnimore come from? Some people seem to think that it is Irish, and James Joyce certainly does give it a bit of a run in Finnegans Wake, although he is referring to Finnegan and not anyone called Finnimore.
However, in his Dictionary of English Surnames, P. H. Reaney gives the following:-
"Finnemore: Richard, William Finamur 1204 Cur (D), 1237 FF (Ha) . OFr fin amour 'dear love'".
The 'OFr' means Old French. Cur and FF are abbreviations for ancient documents known as Curia Regis Rolls and Feet of Fines, D is Devon, Ha is Hampshire, and 1204 and 1237 are dates. This puts the name in the category of 'nicknames'. However, a prominent British genealogist, W.P.W. Phillimore (1853-1913), claimed that the origin lies in the village of Finmere in Oxfordshire.
This site is designed to share material that would be of interest to anyone researching Finnimores, or any other version of the name. There are several books, plus census records and "BMDs" - ie birth, marriage and death records, plus other miscellaneous items. There is also some information on the origin of the name, and eventually will be added some details about a few different Finnimore families and individuals around the world. It is essential to note that the site is far from complete - constantly under development. Comments and suggestions welcome.