Finlay
Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh.
Meaning & Origin of Finlay
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Finlay
As a girl name
Finlay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2004, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 19 Finlays were born — ranking #6,286 that year. As of 2026, Finlay ranks #15,178 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 196 Finlays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Finlay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1918, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 64 Finlays were born — ranking #2,145 that year. As of 2026, Finlay ranks #2,543 for boys with 53 births, holding steady (+2%). In total, more than 1K Finlays have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Finlay
Phonetically similar names — useful when Finlay 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 Finlay
What does the name Finlay mean?
How popular is Finlay in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Finlay most popular?
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About the name Finlay
Finlay is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Finlay's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #2,145. Use the chart and map above to compare Finlay's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all boy names →
- 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.