The name

Whoever is concerned with the Finkbeiner genealogy will notice sooner or later that the name has its origin in the Black Forest town of Baiersbronn.

How is that?

Around 1500 a certain Jerg Finkbomer settled in Baiersbronn, lot "Tannenfels", as documented in the contemporary land register of Dornstetten. The register also says that Jerg worked a small farm. Later, Claus and Balthasar are listed for a tax levied for fighting the Turks; Jakob 1 and 2 as well as Claus 2 figure on recruiting-lists. Certainly they could not read nor write; they probably spoke a dialect.

Fink...

So they had to go to a scribe and tell him their names. The resulta are listed in Helmut Finckbein's (Berlin) research papers:
Finckbomer, Finckboner, Finckhbainer, Finnckhbainer, Finckbonner, Finnbonner, Fuenckbonner, Finnckhboner usw.

Agreement

The Baiersbronn parish register starts in 1627. Throughout the 17th century the forms Finkbeiner and Finkbohner are interchangeable. In the 18th century they settled on Finkbeiner in Baiersbronn. Variants of the name are extant with the descendants of those who had left Baiersbronn at some time during the preceding two centuries - taking their name along in the form it had been listed by then. Whoever writes his name Finkbeiner nowadays, may be sure to go back to Baiersbronn or its sections ("Teilorte", "Ortschaften").

Teilorte

Obertal, Mitteltal, Tonbach, Friedrichstal, Schoenmuenz-Zwickgabel and the former Baiersbronner Kniebis.

Ortschaften

Klosterreichenbach, Heselbach, Roet Schoenegruend, Huzenbach and Schwarzenberg-Schoenmuenzach.