Finn vs William
Finn and Williamcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #153 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #52 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Finn was ranked #32 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #15 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Finn was ranked #15 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #17 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Finn was ranked #83 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Finn and William over time
Finn and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 225 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Finn in 0.
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.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Finn 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 took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Finn moved into the top 50 at #48 in 2009 as William fell out of it to #55, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2014, Finn moved ahead of William in Northern Ireland · Boys — #39 and #36 the year before became #40 and #47.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Finn and William averaged 55.4 places apart, ending at #52 and #11.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Finn rose about as far as William fell — from #271 and #26 in 1997 to #15 and #64 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Finn and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #153 and #3.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 38 of those years, William in 43.
Highest recorded here: Finn #31 in 1945, William #1 in 2012.
The order changed in 1983: William moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #201 and #240; by 1983 that had become #228 and #169.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #153, William #3.
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1982–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 17 of those years, William in 24.
Highest recorded here: Finn #6 in 2020, William #17 in 1982.
The order changed in 2009: Finn moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #49 and #46; by 2009 that had become #48 and #55.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #15, William #73.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #83, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Finn held the stronger position in 11 of those years, William in 17.
Highest recorded here: Finn #7 in 2020, William #26 in 1997.
The order changed in 2014: Finn moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #39 and #36; by 2014 that had become #40 and #47.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Finn #15, William #64.
New Zealand · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2023
Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 26.
Highest recorded here: Finn #25 in 2020, William #3 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Finn #32, William #14.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2025
Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 20.
Highest recorded here: Finn #39 in 2017, William #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #52, William #11.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| 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 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Irish | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /fɪn/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| 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) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Finn is recorded with a Irish origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Finn has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
- Finn's recorded meaning differs from William'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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys