Finlay vs Li
Finlay and Licompared 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 · Boys
In 2017, Finlay was ranked #140 and Li #4812 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Finlay was ranked #5785 and Li #4763 among girls in England and Wales.
Finlay and Li over time
Finlay and Li appear together in 2 published lists, across 21 years of shared records. Finlay held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Li 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.
Finlay reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Li 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 · Girls13 shared years, 1996–2016
Finlay held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Li in 5.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #752 in 1999, Li #2085 in 2007.
The order changed in 2009: Li moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #3005 and #5545; by 2009 that had become #4564 and #4564.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Finlay #5785, Li #4763.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 2003–2017
Finlay held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Li in 0.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #59 in 2006, Li #2507 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Finlay #140, Li #4812.
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 | Li |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4812 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Finlay has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Li.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Li
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 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
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #4812 among boys in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Boys