Elijah vs Finn
Elijah 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #7 and Finn #52 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Elijah was ranked #13 and Finn #32 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #57 and Finn #15 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #97 and Finn #15 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #76 and Finn #17 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #23 and Finn #74 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2017, Elijah was ranked #5765 and Finn #4763 among girls in England and Wales.
Elijah and Finn over time
Elijah and Finn appear together in 5 published lists, across 122 years of shared records. Elijah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Finn in 2.
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.
Finn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Elijah 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 2010, Elijah moved ahead of Finn in England and Wales · Boys — #140 and #126 the year before became #120 and #131.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Elijah and Finn averaged 25.5 places apart, ending at #7 and #52.
- Longest-running competitions
Elijah and Finn were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #23 and #74.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Elijah #11 in 2020, Finn #25 in 2020.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Finn in 14.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #23 in 2024, Finn #72 in 2021.
The order changed in 2010: Elijah moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #140 and #126; by 2010 that had become #120 and #131.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #23, Finn #74.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Finn in 26.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #97 in 2025, Finn #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #97, Finn #15.
New Zealand · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2023
Elijah held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Finn in 10.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #11 in 2020, Finn #25 in 2020.
The order changed in 2011: Elijah moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #52 and #44; by 2011 that had become #34 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elijah #13, Finn #32.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1999–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Finn in 21.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #52 in 2023, Finn #7 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #57, Finn #15.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Finn in 1.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #7 in 2025, Finn #39 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #7, 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 | Elijah | Finn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew. | 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 | /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ | /fɪn/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #7 (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
- Elijah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Finn is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Elijah has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Finn.
- Elijah'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Elijah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #312 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #74 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys