Namewise

Finn vs Sebastian

Finn and Sebastiancompared 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 2024, Finn was ranked #15 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Finn was ranked #15 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Finn was ranked #17 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Finn was ranked #52 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Finn was ranked #32 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Finn was ranked #74 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Finn was ranked #153 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.

Finn and Sebastian over time

Finn and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 189 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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.

Sebastian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Finn in 2. 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 1975, Sebastian moved ahead of Finn in Norway · Boys — #136 and #189 the year before became #152 and #149.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Finn and Sebastian changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1982 and 2025, ending at #15 and #125.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Finn and Sebastian averaged 53.8 places apart, ending at #74 and #47.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 58 shared years in Norway · Boys, Sebastian rose about as far as Finn fell — from #81 and #415 in 1968 to #153 and #53 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Finn and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #74 and #47.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Finn #25 in 2020, Sebastian #52 in 2018.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys58 shared years, 1968–2025

    Finn held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sebastian in 51.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #81 in 1968, Sebastian #6 in 2006.

    The order changed in 1975: Sebastian moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #136 and #189; by 1975 that had become #152 and #149.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #153, Sebastian #53.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1982–2025

    Finn held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Sebastian in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #6 in 2020, Sebastian #80 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #15, Sebastian #125.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sebastian in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, Sebastian #28 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #74, Sebastian #47.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024

    Finn held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sebastian in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #7 in 2020, Sebastian #102 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #15, Sebastian #154.

  • New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023

    Finn held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #25 in 2020, Sebastian #52 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Finn #32, Sebastian #52.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2025

    Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sebastian in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #39 in 2017, Sebastian #20 in 2022.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #52, Sebastian #31.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Finn

Pairs where Finn shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Sebastian

Pairs where Sebastian shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — mirrored each other.

All mirrored each other→

Other pairs from Norway lists

Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Finn, Sebastian
FieldFinnSebastian
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningTraditionally associated with the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill; functions as the usual Anglicised spelling of the Irish name Fionn.Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus.
OriginIrishLatin, from Greek
Pronunciation/fɪn//səˈbæstʃən/
Syllables13
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #15 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10065/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10070/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Finn is recorded with a Irish origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
  • Finn has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
  • Finn's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian'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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1982–2025

    Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1982–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #74 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Sebastian

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1968

    First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1968–2025

    Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys