Origin: Irish, Gaelic
Meaning: “white”
Gender: masculine
(FIN-nee-en)
Finnian is an anglicized form of the Gaelic, Fionán or Fionnán, which is derived from the Celtic element, fionn (white).
The name is borne by 2 early Irish saints:
- St. Finnian of Clonard, an Irish saint who is considered one of the founders of Irish monasticism and tutor of many his contemporary saints (470-549).
- St. Finnian of Moville, another Irish monastic who brought back St. Jerome’s Vulgate from Rome to Ireland, started a monastary and eventually became the tutor of St. Columba (495-589).
Other forms of the name include:
- Finnien (French)
- Finnan/Finnén (Irish)
- Fionán/Fionnán (Irish)
- Vennianus (Latin)
- Vinniaus (Latin)
- Finian (Polish, appears on the Polish name-day calendar, but is seldom used)
- Ffinan (Welsh)
A short form is Finn or Finny.
Sources