Bear vs Finlay
Bear 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, Bear was ranked #432 and Finlay #11 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bear was ranked #519 and Finlay #181 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Bear was ranked #326 and Finlay #200 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Bear was ranked #676 and Finlay #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Bear and Finlay over time
Bear and Finlay appear together in 1 published list, across 17 years of shared records. Finlay held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Bear in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Finlay reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Bear in none. 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys17 shared years, 2007–2024
Bear held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Finlay in 17.
Highest recorded here: Bear #342 in 2022, Finlay #59 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bear #519, Finlay #181.
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 | Bear | Finlay |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bear has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Finlay.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Bear
Popularity journey
First recorded2007
First recorded at #3095 among boys in England and Wales in 2007 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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