Unisex name · since 1918
Finlay
Since 1918, U.S. Social Security records show 1,102 babies named Finlay, peaking in 2015. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,817 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,612 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,102
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
Finlay currently ranks #2612 among unisex names in America, with 1,102 babies recorded since 1918.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Finlay has been recorded 1,102 times among boys since 1918, currently ranked #2612 nationally and more common than 81% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2025.
- #4,817 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,612 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,102 born since 1918
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Finlay ranks #4,817 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,612 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,102 born since 1918, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4,817 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,612 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,102
- born since 1918
- 2010s
- peak decade
Finlay's 1,102 recorded births place it above 89.4% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
9 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Finlay compares
1,102 Top 30% higher than 70% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Finlay's all-time total is 199% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Finlay | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,102 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 64 | 34 | 22,252 |
Finlay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Finlay splits its recorded history at 2011: 66% of all births land in the more recent half, 34% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1918 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 64 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Finlay popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 64
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Finlay popularity over time - girls
204 total births recorded since 2004 (Finlay as girls' name)
Finlay by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (446 births, 40% of the file).
2010s was Finlay's strongest decade.
446 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Finlay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1990s 14
1990s
14 births
- 2000s
2000s
329 births
- 2010s
2010s
446 births
- 2020s
2020s
307 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 446 births (40% of all-time use).
How Finlay compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Finlay's total volume
Finlay by state
Where Finlay concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 115 | 10.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 40 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 14 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Washington | | 12 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 11 | 1.0% |
| #6 | Maryland | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.5% |
115 of 1,102 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Finlay appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Finlay's data
- Finlay's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (446 total births) through the 2020s (307) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Finlays (115 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Finlay
Nearby Names Like Finlay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Finlay
Compare Finlay side by side: Finlay vs Finn Finlay vs Finley Finlay vs Finnegan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Finlay
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Finlay: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2015)
Similar record span (~107 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1918–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Finlay draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.