boy's name
Finlay
FIN-lay
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 28,184
Scotland
#11
2024 births
Finlay is a boy's name of Scottish Gaelic origin meaning "fair-haired warrior." It anglicizes Fionnlagh, from fionn, fair, and laogh — which literally means calf but is used for a young hero.
- Finlay is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2007, when 1,351 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 1,798 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Finlay over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 804 |
| 2000s | 9,768 |
| 2010s | 6,128 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,703 |
What Finlay means
Finlay means fair warrior or fair hero. The second element is the surprising one: laogh means calf, used figuratively for a young fighter the way English once used young blood.
Where Finlay comes from
Finlay anglicizes the Scottish Gaelic Fionnlagh, combining fionn, fair, white or bright, with laogh, calf and by extension a young hero. Fionnlagh was the father of Macbeth, king of Scots, which places the name in the eleventh-century record. It became the surnames Findlay and Finlay before returning as a first name. The -ay spelling is the traditional Scottish one; Finley with an e is the more common modern rendering, and our data holds them as separate entries.
Finlay in use
Our data shows Finlay peaking in 2007 and still rising, at 176 in England and Wales. Finley, the e-spelling, sits at 18 — so the modern respelling outranks the traditional Scottish form by more than 150 places, the widest such gap on this site.
How popular is Finlay?
In 2025, Finlay was given to 293 babies in England and Wales, ranking #176 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Finlay is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Finlay
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Finlay also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Finlay over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Finlay
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Finlay in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Finlay
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Finlay — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Finlay
What does the name Finlay mean?
Finlay means "fair-haired warrior," from the Gaelic fionn, fair, and laogh, a calf used in the sense of young hero.
Is it Finlay or Finley?
Finlay is the traditional Scottish spelling. Finley is the more common modern one and ranks far higher — 18 against 176 in England and Wales.
Who was Fionnlagh?
The father of Macbeth, king of Scots, which places the name in the eleventh-century record.
How popular is the name Finlay?
In 2025, Finlay was given to 293 babies in England and Wales, ranking #176 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Finlay a girl's or a boy's name?
Finlay is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Finlay?
Finlay has 2 syllables.
When was Finlay most popular?
Finlay peaked in 2007, when 1,351 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Finlay?
Finlay is usually shortened to Fin and Finn.
Is Finlay a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Finlay currently ranks #11 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.