Finn vs Lee
Finn and Leecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #15 and Lee #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #17 and Lee #727 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2018, Finn was ranked #18 and Lee #319 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #83 and Lee #1235 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2005, Finn was ranked #3382 and Lee #2970 among girls in England and Wales.
Finn and Lee over time
Finn and Lee appear together in 3 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Finn held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lee in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lee reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Finn 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2003, Finn moved ahead of Lee in England and Wales · Boys — #124 and #113 the year before became #119 and #130.
- Longest-running competitions
Finn and Lee were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 41 years, from 1982 to 2025, ending at #15 and #348.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1982–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Lee in 22.
Highest recorded here: Finn #6 in 2020, Lee #42 in 1998.
The order changed in 2007: Finn moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #66 and #55; by 2007 that had become #54 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #15, Lee #348.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Lee in 7.
Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, Lee #64 in 1996.
The order changed in 2003: Finn moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #124 and #113; by 2003 that had become #119 and #130.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #83, Lee #1235.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1997–2018
Finn held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Lee in 10.
Highest recorded here: Finn #18 in 2018, Lee #42 in 1997.
The order changed in 2007: Finn moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #87 and #83; by 2007 that had become #62 and #82.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Finn #18, Lee #319.
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 | Finn | Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill; functions as the usual Anglicised spelling of the Irish name Fionn. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /fɪn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #15 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Finn has a recorded origin (Irish); Lee does not have one recorded yet.
- Finn and Lee both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Finn; Lee doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Finn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #31 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1982–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Lee
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #94 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2018
Highest recorded position: #42 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2018).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys