Dona vs Finlay
Dona 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 2016, Dona was ranked #5785 and Finlay #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Dona and Finlay over time
Dona and Finlay appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Finlay held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dona 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 Dona 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 · Girls10 shared years, 2001–2016
Dona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Finlay in 7.
Highest recorded here: Dona #2802 in 2004, Finlay #853 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Dona #5785, Finlay #5785.
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 | Dona | 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 | 2 | 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 #4535 (2020) | 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) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dona and Finlay both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Dona
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #447 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1970–2009
Highest recorded position: #447 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1970–2009).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #4535 among girls in England and Wales, in 2020.
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 #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys