Namewise

Finn vs Shea

Finn and Sheacompared 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 Shea #51 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

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

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Finn was ranked #17 and Shea #619 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Finn was ranked #74 and Shea #1197 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2021, Finn was ranked #883 and Shea #883 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2021, Finn was ranked #3519 and Shea #4634 among girls in England and Wales.

Finn and Shea over time

Finn and Shea appear together in 4 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.

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 took the other's place near the top

    In Northern Ireland · Boys, Finn moved into the top 50 at #29 in 2016 as Shea fell out of it to #57, having been #33 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2016, Finn moved ahead of Shea in Northern Ireland · Boys — #37 and #33 the year before became #29 and #57.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Finn and Shea changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #15 and #51.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Finn and Shea averaged 52.5 places apart, ending at #15 and #51.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Finn rose about as far as Shea fell — from #261 and #755 in 1996 to #74 and #1197 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Finn and Shea were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #74 and #1197.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Finn #2416 in 2000, Shea #1728 in 2001.

List by list

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

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

    Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, Shea #308 in 1999.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #74, Shea #1197.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2025

    Finn held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shea in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #6 in 2020, Shea #125 in 2025.

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

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

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Finn held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Shea in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #7 in 2020, Shea #25 in 2007.

    The order changed in 2016: Finn moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #37 and #33; by 2016 that had become #29 and #57.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #15, Shea #51.

  • England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2021

    Finn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Shea in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #2416 in 2000, Shea #1728 in 2001.

    The order changed in 2021: Finn moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #4763 and #4763; by 2021 that had become #3519 and #4634.

    Most recent shared year, 2021: Finn #3519, Shea #4634.

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 Shea

Pairs where Shea 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 — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

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

Northern Ireland 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, Shea
FieldFinnShea
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.The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well.
OriginIrishIrish
Pronunciation/fɪn//ˈʃeɪ/
Syllables11
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedSé, Séaghdha, Shay
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #15 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • Both Finn and Shea share a recorded Irish origin.
  • Finn and Shea both have 1 syllable.
  • Finn's recorded meaning differs from Shea's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
  • The available evidence gives Finn a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shea 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

  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

Shea

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1976

    First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1197 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys