NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Findlay

A Scottish habitational name from a place near Perth.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Findlay is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Findlay popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1758, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 60 births.

This profile covers 731 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 23% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,657 living people in the UK are called Findlay. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Findlay ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2007, when 60 boys were registered as Findlay.
  • Findlay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #209 in 2024.
  • About 1,657 living people in the UK are estimated to have Findlay as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1758

2024

Births in 2024

14

Latest year

Peak year

2007

60 births

Estimated living

1,657

2026

Meaning

What does Findlay mean?

The name Findlay has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language and is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "fionn" meaning fair or white, and "lath" meaning plain or meadow. It is thought to have originated as a place name in Scotland, referring to a white or fair meadow or plain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Findlay can be traced back to the 12th century. In 1153, a charter granted by King David I of Scotland mentions a place called "Findlater" in Aberdeenshire, which is believed to be the earliest known form of the name.

In the 14th century, a Scottish clan chief named Findlay Farquharson is documented as having lived in the region of Braemar, Aberdeenshire. This suggests that the name was already in use as a personal name during this time period.

Another notable figure with the name Findlay was Findlay MacNab, a Scottish soldier and poet who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is remembered for his poetic works and his service in the Scottish army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

In the 18th century, Findlay MacKenzie was a Scottish soldier and explorer who served in the British Army and was involved in the exploration of Canada's Arctic regions. He was born in 1736 and died in 1808.

Moving into the 19th century, Findlay Muirhead was a Scottish minister and author who lived from 1804 to 1885. He was known for his writings on theology and his work as a minister in the Church of Scotland.

In more recent times, Findlay Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1935. He was born in 1867 and died in 1938.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Findlay, which has its roots in the Scottish Gaelic language and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Findlay over time

The chart below shows babies named Findlay registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Findlay, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 60 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Findlay
015304560199620102024

Decades

Findlay by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Findlay 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 #2034 59 5
2010s #1180 243 10
2000s #683 380 10
1990s #1165 49 4

Geography

Where Findlay is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Findlay. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Findlay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #209 in 2024.

Scotland
20

Across the UK

Findlay in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#209 in 2024

44 years of NRS records, 940 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Findlay

  • Findlay Brown

    singer

    British singer

    1980-

  • Findlay Napier

    songwriter

    British singer

    1978-

  • Findlay McGillivray

    association football player; association football coach

    Footballer (born 1940)

    1940-

  • Findlay Kerr

    association football player

    Soccer player (1897–1980)

    1897-1980

  • Findlay Weir

    association football player

    Scottish footballer (1889-1918)

    1889-1918

  • Findlay S. Douglas

    golfer

    Amateur golfer, golf administrator (1874-1959)

    1874-1959

  • Findlay Muirhead

    travel writer

    Scottish writer for Baedeker

    1860-1935

Related

Names similar to Findlay

FAQ

Findlay: questions and answers

How popular is the name Findlay in the UK right now?

In 2024, Findlay was ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.

When was Findlay most popular?

The peak year on record was 2007, with 60 babies registered as Findlay in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Findlay?

A Scottish habitational name from a place near Perth.

How many people are called Findlay in the UK?

A total of 731 babies have been registered as Findlay across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 940 more in Scotland.

Where is Findlay most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Findlay ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #209 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.