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© 2026 Namesake · namesake.baby

Data: Social Security Administration, US births 1880–2024

Finlay — Meaning, Origin & Popularity | Namesake
All names
Finland|Finlee
Scottish◈ Unisex · 54% boy · 46% girl↑↑ Surging

◈= unisex (gender-neutral)

Finlay

◈

FIN-lay · 2 syllables

Share Finlay:
Compare with another name
Boy
#2478
↑↑ Surging
Boy
#2478
Popularity score: 21
↑↑ Surging
Peak
#2470 in 2021
5yr
+186 ranks
Velocity
+186
Birth frequency
1.5 per 100,000 births
Girl

Outside top 1000

Last ranked #15957 in 2023

Peak: #10535 in 2020

→ Stable
5yr
—
Velocity
—
Birth frequency
1.4 per 1,000,000 births

Popularity Over Time

↑ Higher on this chart = more popular · ↓ Lower = less popular

How Popular Is This Name?

Bars show the range of popularity for each group. The dot shows where this name sits. Further right = more popular.

BOY
Average0255075100Popularity score (0–100)20202024

Rank #2478 · Rising since 2020

All US boy names
Top 200 boy names
Scottish boy names
Finlay

Popularity score: 21  ·  SSA Rank: #2478

GIRL
Average0255075100Popularity score (0–100)20202023

Rank #15957 · Falling since 2020

This name is given to very few babies each year — it sits outside the range shown in these charts.

Rare  ·  Distinctive  ·  Familiar  ·  Common  ·  Very Common

Popularity score: 0 = least popular, 100 = most popular. Based on SSA rank.

Namesake Score
92
Higher than 92% of names
Combines uniqueness, trend, meaning, feasibility, and search interest.
Trend
↑↑ Surging
+186 ranks
Based on SSA rank velocity
Feasibility
Limited
.com taken · — · clear
Low friction, available
Uniqueness
70
5 per 10,000 births
Won't be common in class

Finlay is surging in popularity right now.

Meaning Depth37% of score
60
Name Trend28% of score
88
Uniqueness20% of score
70
Feasibility15% of score
50

Scores are percentile-ranked across 43,000+ names.

Name DNA
CelticScottishIrishNatureUnisex2-syllableWarriorFair-hairedVintageCoolGrounded
Character
fair-haired warriorindependent spiritclever determinationadventurous heart
People with this name

Qualities shared by notable Finlays

creativeartisticcontemporaryinnovativevisionary
STRONG
High confidence

Finlay is a Scottish unisex name with upward momentum in SSA rankings. It ranked #2478 in the US in 2024.

Trend:↑↑ Surging · +186 ranks
Feasibility:.com taken · — · clear
Popularity:#2478 · very rare
Finlay at a Glance
Meaning:Fair-haired warrior or white warrior. Derived from Old Irish elements 'Fionn' (fair/white) and 'laoich' (warrior).
Language root:Old Irish · Gaelic
Peak rank:#2470 in 2021
5yr change:+186 ranks
Sex usage:Boy #2478 · Girl #—
Notable bearers
Finlay Currie
Scottish actor (1878–1968)
Finlay MacDonald
Scottish footballer and manager
Finlay Macleod
British musician and composer
Finlay (singer)
Contemporary Irish musician
Similar Sound
Findlay◈Finley◈Finnegan◈FinianRonan◈Rory◈
Similar Style
Soren◈Caspian◈LeifFinn◈Stellan◈Declan◈
Works well with
Wren◈IvyHazelRowan◈Stellan◈Beckett◈AislingQuinn◈
You Might Also Like
Soren◈
Scandinavian · #571
→ Stable
Caspian◈
Persian · #578
↑ Rising
Leif
Norse · #925
↓ Declining
Finn◈
Irish · #198
→ Stable
Stellan◈
Scandinavian · #1441
↑ Rising
Declan◈
Irish · #131
→ Stable
Source: Social Security Administration baby names data. Popularity data reflects US births. Feasibility data updated monthly.
Finlay illustration
Name Intelligence
Finlay · Overview
Summary

Finlay is a Scottish unisex name with upward momentum in SSA rankings. It ranked #2478 in the US in 2024.

Search interest: 1/100 → Stable

Strengths
Strong fundamentals
Finlay scores 92/100 on the Namesake scale — meaning, origin, and trend all contribute positively.
Surging fast
Rank has moved 186 positions in the last year. Exceptional momentum.
Works for any sex
54% boy · 46% girl. A genuinely unisex name is rare at this level of distinctiveness.
Nature character
Finlay carries a grounded, cool quality that makes it distinctive without being invented.
Considerations
Rising very fast
Finlay is surging. If the trend continues, it may become significantly more common within 2-3 years.
Domain taken
finlay.com is not available. Alternative TLDs may work.
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Data source:Social Security Administration
Coverage:US births 1879–2024
Updated:January 2025
ISR:Refreshes monthly
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