Dane vs Fionn
Dane and Fionncompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dane was ranked #829 and Fionn #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2002, Dane was ranked #281 and Fionn #131 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Dane was ranked #2813 and Fionn #645 among boys in England and Wales.
Dane and Fionn over time
Dane and Fionn appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Fionn held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dane in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Dane reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Fionn 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.
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 1990, Fionn moved ahead of Dane in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #165 and #177 the year before became #323 and #139.
- Longest-running competitions
Dane and Fionn were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1984 to 2025, ending at #829 and #6.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1984–2025
Dane held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Fionn in 27.
Highest recorded here: Dane #145 in 1988, Fionn #6 in 2023.
The order changed in 1990: Fionn moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #165 and #177; by 1990 that had become #323 and #139.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dane #829, Fionn #6.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2023
Dane held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Fionn in 16.
Highest recorded here: Dane #256 in 2001, Fionn #555 in 2022.
The order changed in 2011: Fionn moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #942 and #1082; by 2011 that had become #1688 and #831.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Dane #2813, Fionn #645.
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 | Dane | Fionn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally interpreted as 'white' or 'fair', extending in Old Irish usage to 'bright' and figuratively 'true, just'. Strongly associated with the mythological hero Fionn mac Cumhaill. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈfɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fionn has a recorded origin (Irish); Dane does not have one recorded yet.
- Dane has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Fionn.
- A meaning is recorded for Fionn; Dane doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Dane
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1979–1989
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1984 (recorded 1979–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Fionn
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #257 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys