Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

1 2 3

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

Finley...for a girl?

55 replies

elseIlltellyourfather · 26/06/2011 10:47

What are your thoughts please? My name book says it is the feminine spelling; I like it and DH loves it so may go with it, but are we being silly/cruel/condeming her to a lifetime of people being surprised she is female etc?

There was one in home and Away if that helps?

OP posts:

Report

Sl1nkyMalinki · 26/06/2011 10:54

If you love it then use it!

virginiasmonalogue · 26/06/2011 10:55

I like it but thought it was Finlay. Like it either way!

rachel234 · 26/06/2011 11:20

I like it for a girl and prefer Finley, sounds more feminine like Kimberley, Shelley.

rachel234 · 26/06/2011 11:22

Found this on babynamespedia:

Finley - Meaning of the name

[ 2 syll. fi-nley, fin-l-ey ] The girl name Finley is also used as a boy name, though the use for girls is more popular. It is pronounced FIHNLiy ?. Finley's language of origin is Irish. The meaning of Finley is 'fair-haired hero'. Forms of Finley include the names Findlay, Findley, Finlea, Finlee, Finn, Finnlea, and Finnley. Another variant of the name is the short form Fin.

Finley is a rather popular baby girl name, and it is also perceived as trendy. The name has been rising in popularity since the 2000s; prior to that, it was of only very modest use. At the recent peak of its usage in 2010, 0.040% of baby girls were named Finley. It was #408 in rank then. Out of all girl names in its family, Finley was the most commonly used in 2010. Although Finley is used more commonly as a girl name today, there was a period prior to 1917 that it was more popular with boys. After 2005, increasingly the name became more popular with girls than with boys. In 2009, 83% more girls than boys were given the name Finley.

elseIlltellyourfather · 26/06/2011 11:29

Thats interesting rachel, thanks. Is it American? I know of no female Finleys but loads of boys. That really helps though, cheers.

OP posts:

mayanna123 · 26/06/2011 11:29

I think Finley sounds quite soft and feminine.

websticks · 26/06/2011 11:39

My Ds is Finley i have never heard of it as the female spelling in any baby books.
Do like it for a girl though and did think if ds was a dd may have still used the name.

BibiBelle · 26/06/2011 11:49

DD3 is called Dylan and we love it - I have no issue with girls using names more often used for boys at all.

It was me that suggested Finn for Delphine/Serephine on the other thread (was using other user name) and would probably be inclined to use it as a shortening for one of those.

However if you LOVE it then use it. We didn't use Dylan for DD2 and I wish I had, still it suits DD3

elseIlltellyourfather · 26/06/2011 11:59

Ah, you that gave me the idea, thanks, you might have named our baby (sort of!)

OP posts:

BibiBelle · 26/06/2011 12:06

squeak2392 · 26/06/2011 13:55

Unusual, but not unpleasant. I like it, but would expect it to get the same reaction as Eliot for a girl.

LetThereBeRock · 26/06/2011 13:56

It doesn't work for a girl imho,but then I hate it on a boy too.

Mowlem · 26/06/2011 14:16

I always think Finley/ay is quite an effeminate name. So I'm not keen on it for boys. That said, I think it is too popular as a boy's name to name a girl these days.

Shame really

WolfShapedBullet · 26/06/2011 16:34

I know a Finlay and she is beautiful, it suits her to a tee.

elseIlltellyourfather · 26/06/2011 20:22

Thanks everyone, we might just go for it. Funny, I don't even like the name on a boy and would never have considered it but it feels very different for a girl.

OP posts:

EightiesChick · 26/06/2011 20:25

I know 3 young boy Finlays but no girls. Just saying that it seems pretty popular as a boy's name right now in the UK so you will have to be prepared for being asked about your child's sex repeatedly, or even having it just assumed that she is a boy.

EightiesChick · 26/06/2011 20:26

Impressed that you can remember the Fin(ley) in Home and Away though? 1992/4-ish was that?

openerofjars · 26/06/2011 20:31

What about Finola? Similar but definitely a girl's name.

Wilts · 26/06/2011 20:32

I have a Finley(boy) I quite like it for a girl.

elseIlltellyourfather · 26/06/2011 20:34

I remember odd things eightieschick, I can picture her blonde hair and thick fringe clearly! Me and Dsis were slightly obsessed with Home and Away and Neighbours though.

No thanks to Finola, Finnella, Finnoula and all the other suggestions - just not the same.

OP posts:

EightiesChick · 26/06/2011 21:10

OP look at this for a trip down memory lane...

cleverything · 26/06/2011 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

CheerfulYank · 27/06/2011 07:40

Finley is very popular for girls here in the US. Boys are usually just Finn. I think it's nice for either. :)

noddyholder · 27/06/2011 07:42

Ds has a friend called finlay female .she is lovely I really like it.

pilates · 27/06/2011 10:10

Sorry its awful

Flip

1 2 3

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.