Finlay: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,614

among boys · ↓130 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Finlay · +5% vs 2024

How common

1 in 34,162

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2017

75 babies

All-time total

1,306

#4,818 all-time among boys

First recorded

1918

in Social Security records

Finlay popularity over time

1,306 babies have been named Finlay since 1918, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	6	6	1	–	#3,886
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1990s	–	14	14	1	–	#7,850
2000s	40	329	369	37	+2536%	#2,459
2010s	125	446	571	57	+55%	#2,154
2020s (to 2025)	39	307	346	58	+1%	#2,473

Where Finlay is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	51	0.03	outside top 500
2027	52	0.03	outside top 500
2028	52	0.03	outside top 500
2029	53	0.03	outside top 500
2030	53	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Finlay

Finlay is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,614 in 2025 with 50 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1918, 1,306 American babies have been named Finlay, about 84% boys and 16% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2017, when 75 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Finlay stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Finlay?

The median living Finlay is about 10 years old; half are between 5 and 17. An estimated 1,300 people named Finlay are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Finlay year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	8	#11,258	50	#2,614
2024	–	–	55	#2,484
2023	5	#15,972	50	#2,625
2022	8	#11,556	48	#2,731
2021	9	#10,559	54	#2,473
2020	9	#10,541	50	#2,562
2019	7	#12,893	38	#3,117
2018	8	#11,774	55	#2,399
2017	19	#6,363	56	#2,327
2016	18	#6,739	56	#2,346
2015	10	#10,376	64	#2,154
2014	8	#12,298	34	#3,253
2013	18	#6,832	41	#2,818
2012	14	#8,358	37	#3,072
2011	10	#10,641	35	#3,192
2010	13	#8,886	30	#3,561
2009	5	#18,226	50	#2,542
2008	8	#12,992	41	#2,901
2007	9	#11,948	44	#2,733
2006	7	#14,063	50	#2,459
2005	6	#15,120	42	#2,632
2004	5	#16,968	26	#3,563
2003	–	–	18	#4,488
2002	–	–	17	#4,567
2001	–	–	21	#3,886
2000	–	–	20	#3,969
1995	–	–	–	–
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	–	–
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Finlay, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Finlay?

The median living Finlay is about 10 years old. Half of all living Finlays are between 5 and 17 years old.

How many people named Finlay are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Finlay are alive in the United States, based on 1,306 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Finlay mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname.

How popular is the name Finlay in 2025?

Finlay ranked #2,614 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 50 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Finlay?

1,306 babies have been named Finlay in the United States since 1918, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Finlay most popular?

Finlay peaked in 2017, when 75 newborns received the name.

Is Finlay a boy or girl name?

Finlay is used for both: about 16% of babies named Finlay have been girls and 84% boys.

Is the name Finlay rising or falling?

Finlay is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Finlay become more popular?

Finlay is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 53 boys named Finlay in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Finlay

Names that sound and feel close to Finlay: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Finlay with similar names → More names starting with F →