Fionnlagh
Fair-haired hero or warrior of Norse and Gaelic origin.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Fionnlagh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fionnlagh today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fionnlagh births was 2016 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fionnlagh. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Fionnlagh with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Fionnlagh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2016
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,165
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Fionnlagh: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Fionnlagh 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 Fionnlagh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Fionnlagh
The name Fionnlagh has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language and culture, tracing back to the early medieval period of Ireland. It is a compound name derived from the Old Irish words "finn," meaning fair or white, and "lach," meaning a warrior or hero.
The earliest recorded use of the name Fionnlagh can be found in ancient Irish annals and manuscripts, where it was often associated with notable figures and warriors. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Fionnlagh Ua Ruairc, a 12th-century king of Connacht, a province in western Ireland.
In Irish mythology, the name Fionnlagh is also connected to Fionnlagh mac Rónáin, a legendary Irish hero and warrior who is said to have lived in the 7th century. According to traditional tales, Fionnlagh mac Rónáin was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle, and his exploits were celebrated in ancient Irish literature.
Throughout the medieval and early modern periods, the name Fionnlagh remained popular among Irish families, particularly those with strong ties to the Gaelic tradition. Some notable historical figures who bore this name include Fionnlagh Ó Ceallaigh, a 16th-century Irish chieftain and leader of the Uí Bhriúin Sheanaigh, and Fionnlagh Ó Maoil Chonaire, a 15th-century Irish poet and scholar.
In more recent times, the name Fionnlagh has been carried on by individuals of Irish descent, both in Ireland and throughout the Irish diaspora. One notable bearer of the name was Fionnlagh Ó Raghallaigh, an Irish-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War and received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
Another notable figure was Fionnlagh Ó Brolcháin, an Irish revolutionary and member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence in the early 20th century. He played a significant role in the struggle for Irish independence and was later elected to the Irish Parliament.
While the name Fionnlagh has its roots in ancient Irish tradition, it has continued to be passed down through generations, carrying with it a sense of heritage, valor, and connection to Ireland's rich cultural and historical legacy.
People
Fionnlagh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fionnlagh 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
Fionnlagh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fionnlagh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fionnlagh 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Fionnlagh a common name?
We classify Fionnlagh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fionnlagh most popular?
The single biggest year for Fionnlagh was 2016, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fionnlagh is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Fionnlagh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Fionnlagh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fionnlagh 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.
Is Fionnlagh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Fionnlagh in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Fionnlagh can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Fionnlagh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.