Demelza vs Finlay
Demelza 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2018, Demelza was ranked #2187 and Finlay #4684 among girls in England and Wales.
Demelza and Finlay over time
Demelza and Finlay appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Finlay held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Demelza 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.
Finlay reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Demelza 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Demelza and Finlay changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2018, ending at #2187 and #4684.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2018
Demelza held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Finlay in 12.
Highest recorded here: Demelza #1658 in 2002, Finlay #752 in 1999.
The order changed in 2016: Demelza moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #5742 and #5742; by 2016 that had become #2120 and #5785.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Demelza #2187, Finlay #4684.
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 | Demelza | Finlay |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2605 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #175 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Demelza has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Finlay.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Demelza
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #260 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1976–1981
Highest recorded position: #260 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1976 (recorded 1976–1981).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
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 #175 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys