Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Finham, Fynham 1202 FF 1544 LP

• Finneham 1268 Ch

• Fyncham 1535 VE

• Fingam 1674 FF

• Finham al. Fincham 1676 ib

Etymology

Finham. The early forms of this name are Finham , Fynham 1202 FFet freq to 1544 LP, Finneham 1268 Ch, Fyncham 1535 VE, Fingam 1674FF , Finham al. Fincham 1676 ib. It is difficult to see how Finham and Finbury can take their name from the same object and it may be just a chance that the names apparently contain the same first element. Finham may derive from OE  fina , 'wood-pecker,' and such is also possible for Finbury, or it may be that Finham is for earlier Finbeorgham from a second fin-beorg on the other side of the river from Finbury. At a later stage in the history of the name there was confusion with the common bird-name finch .