Finlay vs Samaa
Finlay and Samaacompared 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 Samaa #3178 among girls in England and Wales.
Finlay and Samaa over time
Finlay and Samaa appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Samaa held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Finlay 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 1 of those lists, and Samaa 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 · Girls9 shared years, 2002–2018
Finlay held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Samaa in 6.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #998 in 2002, Samaa #2326 in 2009.
The order changed in 2008: Samaa moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #2509 and #4157; by 2008 that had become #3005 and #3005.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Finlay #4684, Samaa #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 | Samaa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Finlay and Samaa both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Samaa
Popularity journey
First recorded2002
First recorded at #3409 among girls in England and Wales in 2002 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2024
Highest recorded position: #1865 among girls in England and Wales, in 2015 (recorded 2002–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls