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Baby names

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

Original poster

Finlay

35 replies

snowscene · 03/03/2008 15:00

I don't know where I stand on this one- I like like Finn as a nick name but I'm not sure if Finlay itself is a bit common. It's on hubbie's list at the moment, and I'm trying to decide.

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JoPie · 13/06/2009 11:44

Fionn is not just a different spelling, its a different pronounciation, its Fee-uhn, not Finn.
I like Finnian, as in rainbow.

Bounty2009 · 12/06/2009 14:46

Message withdrawn

Thrifty · 12/06/2009 13:39

it very common round here,but not in 'as muck'.

There are 12 boys as ds's pre-school, 4 of them are called Finlay.

Saying that,I didn't know of another child called Jake when we had ds, now there'sone everwhere we go.

A good way to tell what the popular names are at the moment is to go to the key ring/nameplate section in a gift shop and see what names are there. If you cant find a name plate/key ring with the name on then its not popular atm.

IMO if you make up your own spelling of a traditional name you just leave your child open to havng to spell his name out for the rest of his life (and judgy people thinking the parents cant spell!)

Pingpong · 12/06/2009 13:20

there was a character in Home and Away called Finlay years ago who was a girl. That is the only one I've come across and not even real.
Finlay is a classic Scottish name that has become popular in England and Wales now as well. It is popular but not common IMO.
Findlay with a d comes from the surname but some people choose it as a first name - like a lot of Scottish names.
Finley does make me think of the fire engine character as prior to that I hadn't come across that spelling.
The odd spellings suggested by bubblagirl are odd IMO

sonniboo · 12/06/2009 10:44

Really, is Finlay a girls name?

zookeeper · 12/06/2009 10:36

another vote for Finbar

mrswoolf · 12/06/2009 10:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Wilts · 12/06/2009 09:30

I have a Finley, more often that not called Fin.

It is certainly more popular than I thought it would be. Ds2 is still the only Finley in his school though.

fin54 · 12/06/2009 09:24

My 9 yr old Grand Daughter is called Finlay and we don't know any other little girls with this name.

SenoraPostrophe · 08/03/2008 14:58

gawd how awful it must be to have a child with a name in the top 60!

I don't know how they all live with themselves, as presumably there are a lot of them.

BigBadG · 08/03/2008 14:56

I'm sorry, but Finbar just reminds me of Finbar Saunders from Viz!

Pen74 · 04/03/2008 23:10

Lovely name. Not at all common (in the bad sense), quite the contrary!

bouncingblueberries · 04/03/2008 20:23

I only know one other apart from my ds. But we spell it with a d. Don't like the other spellings - it's a visual thing, prefer odd numbers.

If you like it as a name, does it really matter if some people think it's "common"? I think it's a beautiful name and when we chose it, we chose it because we like the sound and meaning of it, not to keep up with current name trends (or otherwise).

And both dh and I are of celtic origin, so the name fits our family well.

I just want to blow raspberries at "common as muck" comments.

alfiesbabe · 04/03/2008 20:09

Finian is lovely. Finlay and Finn = way too popular.

dizzydixies · 04/03/2008 18:47

what about Fionn? celtic spelling?

EHM · 04/03/2008 18:26

Hi my nephew who is 2 is called Findlay after his great granpa. We call him finners, finbar & little lord findlay. He also gets called 'find Lee' by a lady who knows my sister but shes being serious.

Piffle · 04/03/2008 18:26

I've got a Finn he is finbar. Not common around here at all. Depends on heritage DP is Irish hence the name

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 04/03/2008 18:21

sorry but at those spellings

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 04/03/2008 18:21

what with finley
finlay
and finn there are A LOT around

bubblagirl · 04/03/2008 18:19

i know the most amazing inspiring man called finlay i love the name

you could choose to spell it differently fynlay or fynlai i turned my ds name into something peole are oh you dont know many peole with the name spelt like that its lovely

i know i smile proudly not so common then

shreddies · 04/03/2008 18:03

Finn is lovely but there are a lot of them about at the moment

Rosbo · 04/03/2008 18:01

finian is irish, I love the name actually.
Love Fin as a nickname too.

Original poster
snowscene · 03/03/2008 15:44

Thanks for all your answers......I'd forgotten about the Fire Engine one!! I suppose I mean a bit of both- common=lots of them and common= bit commonasmuck! I kind of associate it a bit with Harley, Bailey, Harvey type names, I suppose because of the ending.
I quite like the Finbar suggestion....Might suggest that to hubby.
Thanks again...
SS.

OP posts:
3andnomore · 03/03/2008 15:44

I like Finlay, also liked Finn (but it reminded dh of fishfin, lol)....well,dh didn't like Finlay neither though, but we have a Flynn, and now that is a fabulous name you know

dirtygertiefromnumber30 · 03/03/2008 15:28

waaa, ive got a finlay (5) and it wasnt popular AT ALL when we named him, now they are everywhere! Its not going to be helped by the 'Finley the farking firengine' cartoon either.

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