Aaron vs Finlay
Aaron and Finlaycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Finlay #11 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Finlay #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Finlay #136 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Finlay #181 among boys in England and Wales.
Aaron and Finlay over time
Aaron and Finlay appear together in 3 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Finlay in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Aaron reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Finlay in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Finlay moved ahead of Aaron in Northern Ireland · Boys — #161 and #169 the year before became #187 and #136.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and Finlay averaged 54.3 places apart, ending at #154 and #181.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #9 in 2005, Finlay #244 in 2004.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Finlay in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Finlay #57 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Finlay #181.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2001–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Finlay in 1.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #12 in 2003, Finlay #102 in 2013.
The order changed in 2024: Finlay moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #161 and #169; by 2024 that had become #187 and #136.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Finlay #136.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2002–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Finlay in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #9 in 2005, Finlay #244 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Finlay #372.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Finlay |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Finlay does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron and Finlay both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Finlay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Finlay
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1646 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2024–2024
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in Scotland, in 2024 (recorded 2024–2024).
Scotland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys