Finesse
In contract bridge and similar games, a finesse is a type of card play technique which will enable a player to win an additional trick or tricks should there be a favorable position of one or more cards in the hands of the opponents.
Meaning & Origin of Finesse
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
In contract bridge and similar games, a finesse is a type of card play technique which will enable a player to win an additional trick or tricks should there be a favorable position of one or more cards in the hands of the opponents.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Finesse
As a girl name
Finesse first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1953, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 18 Finesses were born — ranking #4,848 that year. As of 2026, Finesse ranks #14,477 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 195 Finesses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Finesse first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2013, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 9 Finesses were born — ranking #8,062 that year. As of 2026, Finesse ranks #9,752 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 47 Finesses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Finesse
Phonetically similar names — useful when Finesse is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Finesse
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About the name Finesse
Finesse is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1953 and has accumulated 195 births in the dataset. Finesse's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #4,848. Use the chart and map above to compare Finesse's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1989 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "F" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.