Finley

Irish and Scottish

"fair-haired hero"

Finley Origin and Meaning

The name Finley is a boy's name of Scottish, Irish origin meaning "fair-haired hero".

A hugely popular choice for boys in England and Wales, Finley has been used for both sexes in the US since the early 2000s, and has since become one of the most popular unisex names. Until recently, it was tilting slightly towards the girl side, however, as of 2024, it leans more masculine.

Nevertheless, it is currently split 48:42, meaning it remains a gender neutral choice, appealing to contemporary parents as a rugged yet sweet name for boys and a sassy, outdoorsy choice for girls.

As a name, it is a regal Scottish and Irish choice, riding the wave of stylish Finn names. Joining Finnegan, Finnick, Finnian, and 'just' Finn, this name was chosen for celebs Chris O'Donnell , Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn. Meaning "fair-haired hero", it was traditionally spelled Fionnlagh and was historically borne by the father of the 11th-century Scottish king, Macbeth (who was partly the inspiration behind the Shakespeare play).

Finley Rank in US Top 1000

# 290 in the US

Finley Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 17 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Finley

• 290 US 2024
• 17 Nameberry 2025
• 30 Unisex 2024
• 172 Canada 2022
• 156 Future 2028
• 20 England 2023
• 120 Scotland 2024
• 94 Australia 2024
• 81 New Zealand 2022
• 158 Germany 2016

20 Names Similar to Finley

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Finley.

• Sawyer
• Emerson
• Flynn
• Beckett
• Everett
• Quinn
• Archer
• Rory
• Hudson
• Rowen
• Wyatt
• Holden
• Lennox
• Rhys
• Luca
• Bodhi
• Knox
• Asher
• Lincoln
• Rowan

Famous People Named Finley

• Finley Peter Dunne American humorist and essayist
• Finley Quaye Scottish reggae musician; son of musician Cab Quaye
• Finley Jacobsen American actor
• Samuel Finley Breese Morse American inventor of Morse code
• Finley Cooper Bernsen (b. 1998) American actor, son of actor Corbin Bernsen
• Finley Back (b. 2002) son of rugby union footballer Neil Back
• Finley Arthur Donoho (b. 2004) son of actress Holly Marie Combs
• Finley O'Donnell (b. 2006) son of actor Chris O'Donnell
• Finley Turco (b. 2008) son of ice hockey player Marty Turco
• Finley Arthur Staal (b. 2014) son of ice hockey player Eric Staal
• Finley James Walcott (b. 2014) son of footballer Theo Walcott
• Finley Jay "Finn" Lanning (b. 2015) son of family vloggers Bryan & Missy Lanning
• Steven Allen "Steve" Finley American baseball player
• Michael Howard Finley American basketball player

The name Finley in Pop Culture

• Finley flying monkey in film "Oz the Great and Powerful"
• Russell Finley character in film "Wayne's World"
• Finley Italian rock band