Finlay vs Shi
Finlay and Shicompared 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 2019, Finlay was ranked #174 and Shi #4702 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Finlay was ranked #5785 and Shi #3214 among girls in England and Wales.
Finlay and Shi over time
Finlay and Shi appear together in 2 published lists, across 22 years of shared records. Finlay held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Shi 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Shi changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 2000 and 2016, ending at #5785 and #3214.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys11 shared years, 1997–2019
Finlay held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Shi in 0.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #57 in 2005, Shi #2859 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Finlay #174, Shi #4702.
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 2000–2016
Finlay held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Shi in 5.
Highest recorded here: Finlay #782 in 2000, Shi #2022 in 2008.
The order changed in 2010: Shi moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #4564 and #5556; by 2010 that had become #5707 and #2843.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Finlay #5785, Shi #3214.
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 | Shi |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #4702 (2019) |
| 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 Shi.
- 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
Shi
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2859 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #4702 among boys in England and Wales, in 2019.
England and Wales · Boys