Finley
Top 1000
About Finley
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).
Pronounced FIN-lee.
As of October 2026, Finley ranked #333 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #265 in 2021, Nameberry popularity #252.
Editor: Pamela Redmond
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #376 | 834 | 434.2 |
| 2015 | #326 | 1,060 | 553 |
| 2016 | #287 | 1,253 | 660.3 |
| 2017 | #279 | 1,296 | 700.2 |
| 2018 | #275 | 1,290 | 710.3 |
| 2019 | #287 | 1,194 | 665.5 |
| 2020 | #305 | 1,088 | 630.3 |
| 2021 | #265 | 1,307 | 747.1 |
| 2022 | #281 | 1,225 | 701.6 |
| 2023 | #285 | 1,178 | 688.7 |
| 2024 | #290 | 1,153 | 669.2 |
| 2025 | #333 | 1,017 | 595.4 |
World rankings
Similar names
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Finley on lists
Famous Finleys
- 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
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