Finley

Finley was a around on the American naming charts as a masculine name in the late 19th century and early 20th century (at very low levels of usage), then it pretty much disappeared from sight. Finley would reemerge again on the charts in 2005 – but this time for little girls. It also came back on the charts for boy’s the following year in 2006. For both genders, Finley has shown only upwards momentum but the baby girls win the race. Finley is used for females at almost twice the rate as for males. In other words, this name is starting to feel more feminine. Which is ironic because the etymological roots are very masculine (battler, warrior). Finley is an example of American parents hijacking what was once a male personal name and feminized it by giving it to their daughters. As this happens, we typically see such names become less appealing for parents of little boys. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Finley. It’s a cute name with a surname-like quality. It’s a friendly and unpretentious choice, and the nickname of “Fin” reinforces Finley’s Gaelic qualities.