A Scottish surname, Finley comes from the Gaelic terms ‘findlaech’ and ‘fionnlagh’ which refer to a fair-headed warrior or hero. The spelling variations for Finley include Finlray, Finely, Fennelly, Finlry, Findlay and Finelly. In England most with the Finley family name reside in the northern end of England. They are in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Durham, Northumberland and Derbyshire. A large population is also centered in the city of London and nearby counties. In Scotland those with the Finley surname are concentrated in Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Fife, Angus and Selkirkshire. Within the United States the Finley surname is scattered across the country. Most originated in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, California, Texas and Ohio. Famous: Chuck Finley (professional baseball player), Ron Finley (fashion designer), William Finley (movie film actor), Robert Finley (co-organizer of the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America in 1816 to support the establishment of a free colony called Liberia in Africa for former American slaves), Gerald Finley (opera singer) and James Finley (19th century suspension bridge designer).