Finley
Girl name · #415 in 2025 · Distinctive
Finley is currently the #415 girl name in the United States — 753 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #204, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,390 girls born in 2025 was named Finley.
Babies named Finley per year. Source: SSA.
The 36-year story
Finley first appears in the Social Security records in 1989, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2017, when 1,866 girls were named Finley — good for #159 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Finley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Finley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Finley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Finley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Finley is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Finley is most common in WV (2 per 1,000), MO (1.4 per 1,000), IA (1.4 per 1,000), AR (1.3 per 1,000), CO (1.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.6 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Finley is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Finley
Statistically, parents drawn to Finley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Brinley, Kensley, Harley, Finnley, and Henley.
BrinleyKensleyHarleyFinnleyHenleyCharleyAinsleyPresley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Finley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 753 | #415 |
| 2024 | 862 | #363 |
| 2023 | 1,113 | #282 |
| 2022 | 1,367 | #218 |
| 2021 | 1,414 | #211 |
| 2020 | 1,442 | #201 |
| 2019 | 1,575 | #188 |
| 2018 | 1,755 | #165 |
| 2017 | 1,866 | #159 |
| 2016 | 1,727 | #191 |
| 2015 | 1,602 | #204 |
| 2014 | 1,510 | #223 |
| 2013 | 1,093 | #292 |
| 2012 | 913 | #349 |
| 2011 | 880 | #364 |
| 2010 | 780 | #408 |
| 2009 | 576 | #525 |
| 2008 | 463 | #662 |
| 2007 | 352 | #816 |
| 2006 | 289 | #913 |
| 2005 | 248 | #985 |
| 2004 | 168 | #1273 |
| 2003 | 43 | #3347 |
| 2002 | 27 | #4498 |
| 2001 | 11 | #8758 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Finley a popular girl name?
Finley ranked #415 among girls in 2025 with 753 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #204.
When was the name Finley most popular?
Finley peaked in 2017, when 1,866 American girls received the name (ranked #159 that year). Since 2017 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Finley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,390 newborn American girls was named Finley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.