Embodiments of a gas turbine engine including a lift-off finger seal are provided, as are embodiments of a lift-off finger seal and embodiments of a method for the manufacture thereof. In one embodiment, the gas turbine engine includes an engine housing having low and high pressure cavities, a shaft rotatably mounted in the engine housing, and a lift-off finger seal. The lift-off finger seal includes an finger seal backing spring and an aerodynamic foil. The aerodynamic foil extends around the outer circumference of the shaft and is configured to expand radially outward in response to aerodynamic forces generated during rotation of the shaft. The finger seal backing spring resiliently biases the aerodynamic foil toward the shaft, deflects to accommodate the outward radial expansion of the aerodynamic foil, and forms an annular seal around the aerodynamic foil to impede pressurized airflow from the high to low pressure zone.