Finnan
Of Scottish origin signifying a fair-haired or bright person.
Name Census estimates that about 318 living Americans carry the first name Finnan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Finnan today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Finnan births was 2023 (68 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Finnan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
318
~ 1 in 1,077,844 Americans
Peak year
2023
68 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,565
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Finnan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Finnan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 255 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Finnan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Finnan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Finnans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Michigan recorded the most babies named Finnan, while Texas, North Carolina, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Finnan
The name Finnan has its origins in the Gaelic language and is believed to have first emerged in Ireland and Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "fionn," which means "fair" or "white," and is thought to be a descriptive name referring to someone with fair or light-colored hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Finnan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle that documents events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th centuries. In this text, a person named Finnan is mentioned as the abbot of the monastery of Moville in County Down, Ireland, in the late 6th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Finnan. One of the most famous was Saint Finnan, a 6th-century Irish monk and missionary who founded the monastery of Clonard in County Meath, Ireland. This monastery became a renowned center of learning and attracted students from all over Europe.
Another significant figure was Finnan of Kingarth, a 7th-century Scottish monk and saint who established a religious community on the island of Bute in Scotland. He is recognized as one of the early evangelists who helped spread Christianity throughout the region.
In the 9th century, there was a Finnan who served as the Bishop of Clonfert in Ireland. He is credited with establishing the Cáin Fhinnáin, a set of ecclesiastical laws that governed the Irish Church during that time.
Moving forward to the 11th century, a Finnan was the abbot of the monastery of Iona, one of the most influential monastic centers in Scotland during the Middle Ages.
In the 15th century, a man named Finnan Fitzgerald was a prominent Irish chieftain and member of the powerful Fitzgerald dynasty. He played a significant role in the political affairs of Ireland during the latter part of the century.
These examples showcase the long history and usage of the name Finnan across various regions and time periods, particularly in Ireland and Scotland, where it has its deepest roots.
People
Finnan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Finnan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Finnan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Finnan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 318 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Finnan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,077,844 US residents.
Is Finnan a common name?
We classify Finnan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 320 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Finnan most popular?
The single biggest year for Finnan was 2023, when 68 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Finnan is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Finnan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Finnan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.