Fionn
An Irish name meaning fair or light-haired.
Name Census estimates that about 651 living Americans carry the first name Fionn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fionn today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fionn births was 2018 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fionn. 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
651
~ 1 in 526,504 Americans
Peak year
2018
40 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,594
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Fionn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fionn from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 297 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Fionn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fionn 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 Fionn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fionns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Fionn, while Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fionn
The given name Fionn has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language, where it is rendered as Fionn or Finn. It is an ancient name with roots dating back to the 3rd century AD, or possibly even earlier. In Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill was a legendary hunter-warrior who led the Fianna, a band of elite mercenary soldiers.
The name Fionn is derived from the Old Irish word "finn," meaning "fair-haired" or "white." This likely referred to the pale complexion or blond hair associated with the ancient Celtic tribes of Ireland. Variations of the name include Finn, Fyn, and the feminine form Fiona.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Fionn can be found in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, a collection of stories and legends that revolve around the exploits of Fionn mac Cumhaill and his band of warriors. These tales were passed down orally for centuries before being written down in the 12th century.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Fionn or one of its variants. One of the earliest was Fionn mac Áedha, an Irish king who ruled the Kingdom of Munster in the 7th century AD. Another was Finn Arngrimsson, a Norwegian chieftain and explorer who is believed to have discovered Greenland around 860 AD.
In the 12th century, Finn Folcvaldsson was a Norwegian Viking who participated in the conquest of Dublin and is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas. Several centuries later, Finn Magnusson (1563-1629) was a prominent Icelandic scholar and writer who played a significant role in preserving the country's literary heritage.
Another notable figure was Finn Vowed, also known as Finn Vordidsen (1609-1670), a Danish astronomer and mathematician who made important contributions to the study of comets and the calculation of planetary orbits.
While the name Fionn has ancient roots and a rich history, it has remained popular throughout the centuries and continues to be used in various forms around the world today.
People
Fionn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fionn 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
Fionn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fionn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 651 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fionn 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 526,504 US residents.
Is Fionn a common name?
We classify Fionn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 657 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fionn most popular?
The single biggest year for Fionn was 2018, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fionn is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fionn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fionn 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.