Finn vs Leo
Finn and Leocompared 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 2024, Finn was ranked #83 and Leo #5 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #52 and Leo #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Finn was ranked #32 and Leo #5 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #17 and Leo #5 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #15 and Leo #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #15 and Leo #12 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #153 and Leo #28 among boys in Norway.
Finn and Leo over time
Finn and Leo appear together in 6 published lists, across 193 years of shared records. Leo held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Finn in 2.
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.
Finn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Leo in 1. 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 2012, Leo moved ahead of Finn in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #58 and #65 the year before became #72 and #50.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Finn and Leo changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #15 and #12.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Finn and Leo averaged 23.1 places apart, ending at #32 and #5.
- Longest-running competitions
Finn and Leo were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #153 and #28.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Finn #72 in 2021, Leo #5 in 2022.
List by list
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1947–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Leo in 28.
Highest recorded here: Finn #31 in 1947, Leo #28 in 2025.
The order changed in 1998: Leo moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #325 and #330; by 1998 that had become #396 and #291.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #153, Leo #28.
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1982–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Leo in 13.
Highest recorded here: Finn #6 in 2020, Leo #10 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #15, Leo #10.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Leo in 27.
Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, Leo #5 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #83, Leo #5.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Leo in 14.
Highest recorded here: Finn #7 in 2020, Leo #6 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #15, Leo #12.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Finn held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Leo in 15.
Highest recorded here: Finn #25 in 2020, Leo #3 in 2019.
The order changed in 2009: Leo moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #48 and #52; by 2009 that had become #50 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Finn #32, Leo #5.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Leo in 14.
Highest recorded here: Finn #39 in 2017, Leo #3 in 2022.
The order changed in 2012: Leo moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #58 and #65; by 2012 that had become #72 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #52, Leo #5.
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 | Leo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Lion. |
| Origin | Irish | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /fɪn/ | /ˈliːoʊ/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #15 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Irish origin, while Leo is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Finn and Leo both have 1 syllable.
- Finn's recorded meaning differs from Leo's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys