Finlay vs Sami
Finlay and Samicompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Finlay was ranked #11 and Sami #432 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Finlay was ranked #181 and Sami #297 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Finlay was ranked #372 and Sami #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2013, Finlay was ranked #5742 and Sami #4739 among girls in England and Wales.
Finlay and Sami over time
Finlay and Sami appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Finlay held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Sami 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.
Sami 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 Sami changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2003 and 2025, ending at #372 and #829.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Finlay #57 in 2005, Sami #239 in 2005.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Finlay held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sami in 0.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #57 in 2005, Sami #239 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finlay #181, Sami #297.
Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2003–2025
Finlay held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Sami in 5.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #292 in 2009, Sami #423 in 2003.
The order changed in 2023: Finlay moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #454 and #429; by 2023 that had become #396 and #472.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finlay #372, Sami #829.
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 | Sami |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Finlay and Sami both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, 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
Sami
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #506 among boys in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #239 among boys in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys