If you like Finn, but don't like Finlay, what do you do??

[DangerMousey]

Kicking some names around with DH tonight: we both like Finn but don't really like Finlay. And neither of us are keen on giving DC a name like Finn which sounds shortened, as an official name.

Can Finn be short for anything else?

Or, the thing I don't like about Finlay is the way it's pronounced Fin-LAY. In our SE London accent it sounds dreadful! Is there such a name as Finley, pronounced Fin-lee? It sounds softer and nicer to me somehow, but think I might have just made it up!

Finn is an old cumbrian name, not short for anything.

Cousin is Finlay - and pronounced Fin-LAY. (Scots)

Is this a trick question?

Call your child Finn for crying out loud.

Tis a proper name. Kid in my daughter's class with that name, not as a nn.

Phineas? as in Phineas and Ferb? (nickelodeon)
Finnbar? as in the RubberDubbers? SPLISH SPLASH SPLOSH

I liked Fingal but didn't dare.

Finbar is too much Finbar Saunders for my taste.

Finn is lovely but like you say not long enough for me.

Fingal is a new county that was formerly the north part of County Dublin. I wouldn't use it as a child's name.

I have a Finley, known normally as Finn but Finley on birth cert.

Ah I was thinking of Fingal's cave but didn't know about the county

As has already been pointed out Finn is a stand alone name not nec. related to Finlay. However ... what about Thorfinn? have come across one or two recently. I rather like it.

Fionnan (sometimes spelled Fionán) is a lovely Irish name that shortens to Finn or Fionn (or Fionn pronounced Finn). The long form is pronounced Finn-awn or Fion-awn. We don't like to make things too easy, we Irish!

There's also Finnbar, Finbar and Fintan, as others mentioned.

You call them Flynn - like my gorgeous biy

Finn is one of the rare occasions where I think the shortened version is miles better than the longer name (Finlay).

Knowing some female Finleys - to me, the name is rather effeminate (and I agree with the annoyance of pronouncing it Fin lay).

Finn to me is more masculine and just a nicer name.

I'm Scottish and I've never met a Finlay that wasn't pronounced finlee, I'm from the north west coast and I'm now on the east in the central belt...so that covers a fair bit of Scotland, lol.

Finn is a name in its own right, it's not shortened.

I'd just call him Finn but personally would spell it Fynn. My sister is called Jenny, not short for jennifer.

Just go with Finn! DD has a name which is a name in it's own right, but people always assume it's short for one of several longer names (ie in your case Finley, Finbar, Phineas etc) and it used to drive me nuts because it IS very much a name in it's own right so you would have not allow that to annoy you if you just went with the shortened version.

ffinlo is a manx name, in ds2's class he is always called ffin. otherwise finnian is what I would first think of rather than finbar. I like Phineas.

I have a Finn and it's not short for anything. I love it. People very rarely assume that it's short for anything btw although the primary school football team have started chanting "Finn, Finn, FINNEGAN" when he gets the ball

I have a Finn, not short for anything too!! I'm afraid I don't see the point of giving a child a long name if you only plan to call it by the short name.
We do call ours Finny Finbar when he's at home but he's only 13 months and he won't know when he's older!!!

Finn is a full name, just go for that.

Never knew Fin-LAY/EY was an issue. I'd pronounce them both Finley, saying Fin-LAY makes me sound a bit Brummie.

Finlay is pronounced LAY with a Scottish accent because Scottish people do not use the EE sound in unstressed syllables in these kind of contexts.

Therefore, with an English accent (which does), it would be pronounced LEE.

It's just an accent difference. It's not wrong. If we wanted it pronounced 'properly' we would insist on everyone putting on a Scottish/Irish accent, which would be weird.

I'm Scottish, btw.

Finn on its own is a beautiful name. Finn McCool was mentioned upthread - do a google search because there is are some great myths involving him. I prefer the spelling Fionn.

Thorfinn is an amazing name but quite 'out there'. Finlo is also very cool. Fionnan is lovely.

Fionn is pronounced Fyun though