Respondents: 38 (This poll is closed)
It’s already more popular for girls than boys, according to SSA. Why not just use [name]Finn[/name]?
I can’t believe how popular [name]Finlay[/name] is on girls - its a classicly gorgeous Irish boys name that should be left well alone if it can’t be used properly, makes me so sad!
I’ve already met female, [name]Finleigh[/name] here in the UK but it hasn’t been used much on girls at all and is a very solid boys name. For some reason I think Australia might be similar to the UK or is the trend of boys names on girls a big thing there?
I still prefer [name]Finlay[/name] too [name]Liam[/name], the latter is pretty overdone here in the UK.
I do like [name]Finn[/name] and [name]Flynn[/name] too, but slightly [name]Finlay[/name] nn [name]Finn[/name].
I love [name]Finley[/name]/[name]Finlay[/name]! I absolutely couldn’t vote, because I don’t think it’s appealing on a girl at all, tbh, but according to statistics in the US, it is already more popular on girls than boys (which absolutely blows my mind!), so I think it could go there (hopefully it doesn’t!). I would still encourage parents to use it on a boy, though, since (if I’m remembering correctly) [name]Finley[/name] is only slightly more popular for girls than boys here. It’s a great name, and hopefully the boys can reclaim it before it’s seen as too unisex!
Besides, from what I’ve heard about naming trends in both the UK and Australia, it seems like the unisex thing doesn’t catch on as much there. Maybe there’s more hope for [name]Finley[/name]/[name]Finlay[/name] to stay a boys’ name there! 
If it still bothers you, though, maybe spell it [name]Finlay[/name] (I’ve only ever seen this spelling used on a boy, although I’m not sure that’s any consolation!), or use another [name]Finn[/name] alternative, like [name]Finnian[/name], [name]Finnegan[/name] (love!), or just [name]Finn[/name]. There’s also [name]Phineas[/name], but that’s Hebrew instead of Gaelic… Or maybe even [name]Flynn[/name]?
Good luck!
It certainly looks like it will be a more popular choice for girls in the future. It follows some hot trends: it’s Celtic, it’s a surname and it ends with a “ley” sound. All pretty standard for a name to tip towards the girls! Sorry:)
I sincerely hope it doesn’t go to the girls, its such a handsome, popular boys name here in the UK that the idea of it on a girl is crazy to me.
I love it on a boy! I hate that it’s gone to the girls in the States, and hopefully it won’t do so over here as well. I don’t even understand why parents use it on girls, it screams boy to me, especially nn [name]Finn[/name].
Actually, it hasn’t gone to the girls in the States at all. I have only ever seen it used on boys here.
I don’t see this becoming a female name. Maybe you’ll have a few avant garde parents using this as a female name, but for the most part, it is to remain a boy name.
I can’t speak for Australia, but in the US, in 2010, there were 774 new girl Finleys and 414 new boy Finleys. That’s not a huge difference at all, and the name appears to be trending upward for both sexes. It’s totally usable for boys.
[name]Finley[/name] has a lot of qualities that can (and do) attract modern parents of girls, but it takes more than just usage for girls for a name to end up "girlnapped. The parents of boys have to choose to abandon the name as well. [name]Finley[/name] is still a viable name for boys, and I think it’s too soon to write it off as gone to the girls. If parents of boys keep using it, the worst it will be seen as is unisex.
[name]Finley[/name] doesn’t seem like a girl’s name to me at all! I guess the statistics say otherwise, but it seems really masculine to me, and perfect for a boy. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it, but then, I’ve never met a female [name]Finley[/name] in the UK. I guess it might be different in the US.
Oh, that was the impression I was getting from posts on here, I’ve seen several other people say they’ve met/know of female Finleys, which probably gave a false impression of national trends.
Thanks, I agree… maybe stats don’t.
[QUOTE=sheflieswithherownwings;1443961]I…its a classicly gorgeous Irish boys name that should be left well alone Agree
For some reason I think Australia might be similar to the UK or is the trend of boys names on girls a big thing there? Girls with boys names isn’t big at all.
Maybe I will err and use [name]Finn[/name], [name]Flynn[/name] maybe [name]Finnian[/name].[/QUOTE]
[name]Mischa[/name]- Hopefully Australia won’t go to boys names on girls. So far not. But yes, it fits the popular criteria.
My boy name list has sadly expanded to about ((((40)))) while I try and find something better than [name]Liam[/name], so I seriously need to cull some.
I have never met a [name]Finley[/name] at all in Australia- but it is top 100 for boys. Not top 100 for girls.
Look, names evolve. Anyone who has a problem with [name]Finley[/name] for a girl but thinks [name]Ashley[/name] or [name]Leslie[/name] are okay for girls is not being consistent. Those were boys names too. Names that end in “ley” tend to sound light, feminine and pleasing to the ear.
And for the all the purists out there, the name means “fair warrior”, so does that mean that it should never go to a dark-haired or dark-skinned person? By the rigid reasoning here it would.
[name]Even[/name] the meaning of the word “fair” evolved from light in color to mean “beautiful” in Middle English. Below is taken from Merriam-[name]Webster[/name]'s Dictionary…
(Fair Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster – "English fager, fair, from Old English fæger; akin to Old High [name]German[/name] fagar beautiful. First Known Use: before 12th century)
I mean really, do you know any fairy tales in which a guy asks, “Who’s the fairest of them all?”
So the name means Beautiful Warrior. That name was used exclusively for boys in the past. And I get that it offends some people then give it to girls. But there is nothing in the name that inherently means it MUST be used for only boys. And, I’m sorry, but like the name [name]Ashley[/name]… it just sounds pretty.
[name]Finley[/name] is now a legitimate unisex name - and with good reason.
You could use [name]Finbar[/name], nn’d [name]Finn[/name]. Somehow that seems less likely to become a girl’s name.
Boy names become “girl names” when parents of boys stop using them. Fun fact: [name]John[/name] was a Top 1000 name for girls (in the US) until 1988. If you like [name]Finley[/name], use it.
I know 2 girl [name]Finley[/name]'s sorry! I love [name]Finnian[/name] as an alternative…or just [name]Finn[/name].