Finlay vs Irena
Finlay and Irenacompared 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, Finlay was ranked #4684 and Irena #3178 among girls in England and Wales.
Finlay and Irena over time
Finlay and Irena appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Finlay #782 in 2000, Irena #2416 in 2000.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 2000–2018
Finlay held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Irena in 5.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #782 in 2000, Irena #2416 in 2000.
The order changed in 2010: Irena moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #4564 and #5556; by 2010 that had become #5707 and #3156.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Finlay #4684, Irena #3178.
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 | Finlay | Irena |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2689 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Finlay has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Irena.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
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
Irena
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–1990
Highest recorded position: #256 among girls in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1947–1990).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #2689 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls