 An unidentifable finch fossil from the Messinian age, around 12 to 7.3 million years ago (Ma) during the Late Miocene subepoch, has been found at Polgárdi in Hungary.The scientific name Fringillidae comes from the Latin word "fringilla" for the common chaffinch ("Fringilla coelebs"), a member of the family which is common in Europe.The name was coined (as Fringilladæ) by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820.