Understand Finder Find Results I am looking in a folder for a file which contains path in its name. I enter path in the search box, and select it to search the current folder (which is my default anyway). The tool tip indicates Filenames Name matches: path.

What I see is 110 items, none of which even contain the string path, let alone match.



What does the finder think I am looking for, and what do the results actually mean?

This is a relatively new iMac running MacOS Sierra.
In the Finder, use command-F to get a Finder search window.  You will get:


There is now a bar with criteria added.  You see a pop-up menu "Kind" followed by "is" and another pop-up menu "Any".  Click the "Kind", and choose "Name" from that menu:


There now is a pop-up menu just following "Name", select "contains" from that, and type the word "path" in the field that follows.
You can add criteria by clicking the + sign at the right of the search bar.


Spotlight does seem to "power" the default search field in Finder windows.  I use Spotlight only in desperation, as it almost never ever finds what I'm looking for.  But with the search criteria in the Finder's search window I usually book success.

So, remember:  command-F gets you a Finder search window with a criteria bar, and that certainly helps.