'Finchley' probably means 'finches’ clearing' or 'Finch’s clearing'.
The name is first recorded in the early 13th century; Finchley is not in the Domesday Book. The station opened in 1867 as Finchley and Hendon, became Finchley in 1872 and Finchley (Church End) in 1894, Church End being the district around it. It has been Finchley Central since 1940.