Ethan vs Finn
Ethan 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and Finn #15 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Finn #15 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Finn #17 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Finn #32 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #49 and Finn #52 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #54 and Finn #74 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #315 and Finn #153 among boys in Norway.
Ethan and Finn over time
Ethan and Finn appear together in 5 published lists, across 141 years of shared records. Ethan held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Finn 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.
Ethan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Finn 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Finn moved into the top 50 at #15 in 2024 as Ethan fell out of it to #57, having been #19 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Finn moved ahead of Ethan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #19 and #21 the year before became #57 and #15.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ethan and Finn changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1989 and 2025, ending at #51 and #15.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ethan and Finn averaged 43.8 places apart, ending at #49 and #52.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Finn were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #54 and #74.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Finn in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Finn #6 in 2020.
The order changed in 2015: Finn moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #31 and #32; by 2015 that had become #40 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Finn #15.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Finn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Finn #72 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #54, Finn #74.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Finn in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Finn #7 in 2020.
The order changed in 2024: Finn moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #19 and #21; by 2024 that had become #57 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, Finn #15.
New Zealand · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Finn in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Finn #25 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Finn #32.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Finn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Finn #39 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #49, 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 | Ethan | Finn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | 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 | /ˈiːθən/ | /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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #15 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Finn is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Ethan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Finn.
- Ethan'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
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #54 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