Fink
A German surname meaning “finch,” sometimes also associated with a lively or cheerful nickname sense.
The #1,232 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,757 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Fink comes from German words for the finch bird, ultimately from Old High German fincho and Middle High German vinke/finke. In many surname traditions, such bird names began as nicknames or descriptive bynames, and some sources also connect the word with a cheerful or lively person. In English-language sources, it is also described as a provincial form of Finch.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas, and related forms such as Finke and Vincke are also found. Some dictionaries note that Fink can function as a dialect or regional variant rather than a separate root surname. German surname formations like Finkler show the same bird-name base with an occupational extension, referring to a bird-catcher or fowler.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century source explicitly glosses Fink as a provincial form of Finch, showing how closely the two surnames were linked in older naming practice.
From the historical record
“FERNANDEZ (Span.) genit. of Fernando. FINK (Ger.) Finch [O.H.Ger. fincho = Dan.- Norw. finke'\ FINKLER (Ger.) Bird-Catcher, Fowler [f. Fink] Fischer”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)