Finn vs Noah
Finn and Noahcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #52 and Noah #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Finn was ranked #32 and Noah #1 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #153 and Noah #1 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #17 and Noah #1 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #83 and Noah #2 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #15 and Noah #3 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #15 and Noah #3 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Finn was ranked #3519 and Noah #2201 among girls in England and Wales.
Finn and Noah over time
Finn and Noah appear together in 6 published lists, across 162 years of shared records. Noah held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Finn in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 3 of those lists, Noah 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 2003, Noah moved ahead of Finn in New Zealand · Boys — #67 and #71 the year before became #52 and #39.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Finn and Noah averaged 53.9 places apart, ending at #52 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Finn and Noah were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 33 years, from 1990 to 2025, ending at #153 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Finn #72 in 2021, Noah #1 in 2021.
List by list
Norway · Boys33 shared years, 1990–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Noah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Finn #134 in 2021, Noah #1 in 2021.
The order changed in 1997: Noah moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #267 and #332; by 1997 that had become #325 and #274.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #153, Noah #1.
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Noah in 20.
Highest recorded here: Finn #6 in 2020, Noah #2 in 2021.
The order changed in 2006: Noah moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #57 and #61; by 2006 that had become #66 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #15, Noah #3.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Noah in 29.
Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, Noah #1 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #83, Noah #2.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Noah in 20.
Highest recorded here: Finn #7 in 2020, Noah #1 in 2018.
The order changed in 2005: Noah moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #90 and #108; by 2005 that had become #85 and #55.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #15, Noah #3.
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2023
Finn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Noah in 21.
Highest recorded here: Finn #25 in 2020, Noah #1 in 2023.
The order changed in 2003: Noah moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #67 and #71; by 2003 that had become #52 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Finn #32, Noah #1.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Noah in 20.
Highest recorded here: Finn #39 in 2017, Noah #1 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #52, Noah #1.
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 | Noah |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'rest' or 'comfort'. |
| Origin | Irish | Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /fɪn/ | /ˈnoʊə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Noa, Noé |
| 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 #1 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Finn is recorded with a Irish origin, while Noah is recorded with a Hebrew origin.
- Finn and Noah both have 1 syllable.
- Finn's recorded meaning differs from Noah's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Finn a "medium" Data Confidence level and Noah a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Noah
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #640 among boys in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys