Namewise

Finlay vs Geraldine

Finlay and Geraldinecompared 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 · Girls

    In 2000, Finlay was ranked #348 and Geraldine #348 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2018, Finlay was ranked #4684 and Geraldine #5666 among girls in England and Wales.

Finlay and Geraldine over time

Finlay and Geraldine appear together in 1 published list, across 19 years of shared records. Finlay held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Geraldine 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.

Geraldine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Finlay 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

    Finlay and Geraldine changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2018, ending at #4684 and #5666.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 19962018

    Finlay held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Geraldine in 7.

    Highest recorded here: Finlay #752 in 1999, Geraldine #848 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2018: Finlay moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #5785 and #5785; by 2018 that had become #4684 and #5666.

    Most recent shared year, 2018: Finlay #4684, Geraldine #5666.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Finlay, Geraldine
FieldFinlayGeraldine
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables24
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IEGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10070/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Finlay has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Geraldine.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Finlay

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded2024–2024

    Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in Scotland, in 2024 (recorded 2024–2024).

    Scotland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Geraldine

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #9 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1964–2021

    Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2021).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Girls