NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Findley

From an English surname meaning "fine meadow" or "open landscape".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Findley is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Findley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 11 births.

This profile covers 141 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 1999 to 2021. 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 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 145 living people in the UK are called Findley. 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 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Findley ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2002, when 11 boys were registered as Findley.
  • Findley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #361 in 2003.
  • About 145 living people in the UK are estimated to have Findley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4789

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

2002

11 births

Estimated living

145

2026

Meaning

What does Findley mean?

The name Findley has its roots in the Scottish Gaelic language, originating sometime in the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "fionn" meaning fair or white, and "laidh" meaning warrior or hero. The name likely referred to a fair-haired or blonde warrior or soldier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a man named Findley MacAlister was mentioned in the Annals of Loch Cé, an Irish chronicle. In the 15th century, a Findley MacNab was noted as a clan chief in the Scottish Highlands.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Findley. In the 17th century, Findley McIntosh was a Scottish soldier who fought in the English Civil War and later emigrated to North America. Findley Clinton, born in 1793, was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

In the 19th century, Findley Patterson was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who played a key role in the development of the city of Hamilton, Ontario. Findley Carter, born in 1865, was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Savoy Hotel.

More recently, Findley Ralph, born in 1923, was an American artist and sculptor known for his public works of art. He created several large-scale sculptures for cities across the United States.

While the name Findley is not as common today as it once was, it remains a reminder of its rich Scottish heritage and the brave warriors who bore this name throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Findley over time

The chart below shows babies named Findley registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Findley, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 11 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Findley
036811199920102021

Decades

Findley by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Findley 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 #4789 3 1
2010s #3414 54 10
2000s #2071 79 10
1990s #2097 5 1

Geography

Where Findley is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Findley. 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.

Findley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #361 in 2003.

Scotland
5

Across the UK

Findley in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#361 in 2003

1 years of NRS records, 5 total registered

Related

Names similar to Findley

FAQ

Findley: questions and answers

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

In 2021, Findley was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Findley most popular?

The peak year on record was 2002, with 11 babies registered as Findley in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Findley?

From an English surname meaning "fine meadow" or "open landscape".

How many people are called Findley in the UK?

A total of 141 babies have been registered as Findley across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 5 more in Scotland.

Where is Findley most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Findley ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #361 in 2003. 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.