Daniel vs Finn
Daniel and Finncompared 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, Daniel was ranked #13 and Finn #15 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #37 and Finn #15 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #52 and Finn #17 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Daniel was ranked #53 and Finn #32 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #64 and Finn #52 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #59 and Finn #83 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #66 and Finn #153 among boys in Norway.
Daniel and Finn over time
Daniel and Finn appear together in 6 published lists, across 225 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Finn in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Daniel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Finn 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 2020, Finn moved ahead of Daniel in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #38 and #46 the year before became #47 and #39.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Daniel and Finn averaged 32.1 places apart, ending at #64 and #52.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and Finn were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #66 and #153.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Finn in 28.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, Finn #31 in 1945.
The order changed in 1973: Daniel moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #138 and #130; by 1973 that had become #106 and #136.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #66, Finn #153.
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1982–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Finn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2009, Finn #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #13, Finn #15.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Finn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, Finn #72 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #59, Finn #83.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Finn in 4.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 2010, Finn #7 in 2020.
The order changed in 2024: Finn moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #16 and #21; by 2024 that had become #37 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #37, Finn #15.
New Zealand · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2023
Daniel held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Finn in 7.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2006, Finn #25 in 2020.
The order changed in 2017: Finn moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #30 and #34; by 2017 that had become #31 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Daniel #53, Finn #32.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Finn in 7.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #7 in 2005, Finn #39 in 2017.
The order changed in 2020: Finn moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #38 and #46; by 2020 that had become #47 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #64, Finn #52.
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 | Daniel | Finn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | Traditionally associated with the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill; functions as the usual Anglicised spelling of the Irish name Fionn. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | /fɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #15 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Daniel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Finn is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Daniel has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Finn.
- Daniel's recorded meaning differs from Finn's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Daniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #280 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1954–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Finn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #31 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1982–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys