Finley
Finley is both a surname and given name. Its meaning is of Scottish origin, from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh, composed of the elements fionn "white", "fair" + laoch "warrior", "hero", which led many people believe that has been reinforced by an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements "finn" ("Finn") + "leikr".
Meaning & Origin of Finley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Finley is both a surname and given name. Its meaning is of Scottish origin, from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh, composed of the elements fionn "white", "fair" + laoch "warrior", "hero", which led many people believe that has been reinforced by an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements "finn" ("Finn") + "leikr".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Finley
As a girl name
Finley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1989, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 1,866 Finleys were born — ranking #159 that year. As of 2026, Finley ranks #377 for girls with 805 births, falling sharply (-38%). In total, more than 24K Finleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Finley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 1,307 Finleys were born — ranking #265 that year. As of 2026, Finley ranks #284 for boys with 1,178 births, holding steady (-4%). In total, more than 21K Finleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Finley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Finley 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 Finley
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About the name Finley
Finley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 24K births in the dataset. Finley's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #159. Use the chart and map above to compare Finley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.