Namewise

Fionn

maleIrish

Traditionally interpreted as 'white' or 'fair', extending in Old Irish usage to 'bright' and figuratively 'true, just'. Strongly associated with the mythological hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Origin: Irish

Official popularity data is available for 4 regions, from 1971 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #6 in Republic of Ireland in 2025. See regions.

Fionn: Recorded since 1971, its highest recorded position is #6, and it was still inside the top 100 in 2025.

FIN/ˈfɪn/

Data Confidence

Evidence: ModerateCompleteness: SubstantialEditorial review: 2026-07-21

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)
Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-07-21), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (4) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin
Irish
Meaning
Traditionally interpreted as 'white' or 'fair', extending in Old Irish usage to 'bright' and figuratively 'true, just'. Strongly associated with the mythological hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.
Pronunciation
FIN
Syllables
1
Common nicknames
None recorded
Classification
Traditional & modern
Gender usage
male
Language family
Irish

Popularity

Falling

among girls in England and Wales · 1996–2004

England and Wales · Girls rank from 1996 to 2004, ranging from #2152 to #4598.19961997199819992001200220032004#2152#4598
View as table
England and Wales · Girls rank by year
YearRank
1996#3126
1997#2152
1998#2701
1999#2444
2001#3262
2002#4137
2003#4373
2004#4598

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Girls

Recorded in official data among boys in Republic of Ireland in 51 of the 55 years from 1971 to 2025.

In 2025: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, #658 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 4 national registrars across 4 regions, 19712025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1971

    First recorded at #257 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #658 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

See full popularity history and data table

Meaning & Origin

Traditionally interpreted as 'white' or 'fair', extending in Old Irish usage to 'bright' and figuratively 'true, just'. Strongly associated with the mythological hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name, eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language.Confidence: high.

Irish

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Fionn is officially recorded

4 official registrars have recorded Fionn, between 1971 and 2025, in 51 of those 55 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

RegistrarRecordedYearsIts own highest position
Republic of Ireland1971–202551#6 in 2023
England and Wales1996–202530#555 in 2022
Northern Ireland1999–202426#26 in 2024
Scotland20241#330 in 2024

Variants

No spelling variants or nicknames recorded yet.

Similar Names

No similar names recorded yet for this name.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

No commonly used alternate spellings recorded.

Pronunciation

FIN/ˈfɪn/
Syllables
1
Ease
easy

VerifiedSource: Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Where Fionn Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Fionn in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

England and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of Ireland

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

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