Finley vs Setanta
Finley and Setantacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Finley was ranked #120 and Setanta #326 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Finley was ranked #159 and Setanta #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Finley and Setanta over time
Finley and Setanta appear together in 1 published list, across 17 years of shared records. Finley held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Setanta 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.
Finley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Setanta 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
Finley and Setanta changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2005 and 2025, ending at #159 and #286.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2005–2025
Finley held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Setanta in 3.
Highest recorded here: Finley #136 in 2020, Setanta #286 in 2025.
The order changed in 2012: Finley moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #623 and #490; by 2012 that had become #336 and #616.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finley #159, Setanta #286.
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 | Finley | Setanta |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #159 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Finley has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Setanta.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Finley
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #704 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #159 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Setanta
Popularity journey
First recorded2003
First recorded at #299 among boys in Northern Ireland in 2003 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys