UK boy's name
Fin
A Scottish diminutive of Finlay, meaning "fair-haired hero" or "white warrior".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Fin is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Fin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 6 births.
This profile covers 60 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2000 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 60 living people in the UK are called Fin. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Fin ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 6 boys were registered as Fin.
- • About 60 living people in the UK are estimated to have Fin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4991
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2016
6 births
Estimated living
60
2026
Meaning
What does Fin mean?
The name Fin is believed to have originated from the Gaelic language, which is a branch of the Celtic language family. The name is thought to derive from the Old Irish word "fionn," which means "fair" or "white," referring to someone with pale skin or light hair. This suggests that the name may have been used to describe a person's physical appearance in ancient Celtic culture.
In Irish mythology, Fionn mac Cumhaill (also known as Finn MacCool) was a legendary hunter-warrior and leader of the Fianna, a group of elite warriors in Irish folklore. He is one of the most prominent figures in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, which dates back to the 3rd century AD. The name Fionn, and its variant Finn, gained popularity due to the widespread influence of these mythological tales.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fin can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 12th century. The annals mention a person named "Finn mac Fáelán" who lived in the 10th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Fin or its variants, including:
1. Finn Eiríksson (c. 983-1051), an Icelandic explorer and the first European to be born in North America. 2. Finn Magnussen (1781-1847), a Norwegian philologist and pioneer in the study of Old Norse literature. 3. Finn Juhl (1912-1989), a Danish architect and furniture designer, known for his iconic chairs and interior design work. 4. Finn Arup Andersen (1914-2002), a Danish engineer and co-founder of the renowned engineering and design firm, Arup Group. 5. Finn Kalvik (1932-2017), a Norwegian cross-country skier who won two Olympic gold medals in the 1960 Winter Olympics.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the name Fin or its variants. The name has been used across various cultures and time periods, reflecting its deep roots in ancient Celtic and Gaelic traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Fin over time
The chart below shows babies named Fin registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Fin, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fin by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Fin was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4109 | 12 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4053 | 28 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3520 | 20 | 6 |
Related
Names similar to Fin
- Freddie 46,945
- Finley 42,410
- Frederick 19,866
- Finlay 17,879
- Frankie 17,528
- Finn 14,413
- Felix 14,361
- Fraser 6,470
- Flynn 6,170
- Frank 5,992
- Filip 5,876
- Francis 5,744
FAQ
Fin: questions and answers
How popular is the name Fin in the UK right now?
In 2023, Fin was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Fin most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 6 babies registered as Fin in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Fin?
A Scottish diminutive of Finlay, meaning "fair-haired hero" or "white warrior".
How many people are called Fin in the UK?
A total of 60 babies have been registered as Fin across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.