Re-posting: Isla and Finlay/Finley

See the results of this poll: Isla and …

Respondents: 26 (This poll is closed)

  • Finlay: 12 (46%)
  • Finley: 14 (54%)

I struggled for one moment while deciding which one [name]Isla[/name] went with the best. In the end, I decided to go with [name]Finlay[/name]. [name]Finlay[/name] feels more traditional and classic to me and the double ‘a’ in [name]Isla[/name] and [name]Finlay[/name] aren’t bad at all. I love both names :wink:
Good luck!

I voted [name]Finlay[/name]…but then, I might be biased. My own little [name]Finlay[/name] (which I decided upon with help from the nameberry folks) is two months old today :slight_smile:

Another vote for [name]Finlay[/name]! (I love your daughter’s name, by the way.) :slight_smile:

And Sloppyart, if you’re reading this, it’s so good to see you! I hope you and [name]Finlay[/name] are doing well! :slight_smile:

Take care!

Thanks [name]Jill[/name] :slight_smile: [name]Finlay[/name] [name]Malloy[/name] is doing wonderfully, and looks ever so much like his name. Wish I could show you…

[name]Hi[/name]! :slight_smile: I bet he’s darling! You should totally send a picture for [name]Pam[/name] to post! What does he look like? I’d love to see him, and I know I’m not alone. :slight_smile:

Take care!

[name]Finlay[/name] all the way! It is the traditional spelling. [name]Finley[/name] is made-up and downmarket. [name]Finlay[/name] is classy and the correct, traditional spelling of the name.

[name]Finlay[/name] was in fact, Macbeth’s father. It is a Scottish royal name BBC - History - Historic Figures: Macbeth (c.1005 - 1057)

I’ve just done a search on this site as to previous comments on the name [name]Finlay[/name] and am shocked at how many people think that [name]Finlay[/name] is a surname name like [name]Jackson[/name] etc. The surname [name]Finlay[/name] is from the FIRST name [name]Finlay[/name]. It’s as much of a surname as [name]Thomas[/name], [name]George[/name] etc. Yes it is also used as a surname but it is originally a first name… Surname Database: Index of Surnames

Also, a lot of people are saying it’s Irish? The only thing Irish about [name]Finlay[/name] is its nickname [name]Finn[/name]. [name]Finlay[/name] is 100% Scottish.

Thanks, [name]Jill[/name]–I’ll post a picture to [name]Pam[/name]. He looks rather Scottish, actually–big cheeks but delicate features (so [name]Sawyer[/name] wouldn’t have really suited him).

Rouge, maybe some of those posts you thought suggested [name]Finlay[/name] was a surname–at least the recent ones replying to my quandries–may have stemmed from the fact that Finlayson was the surname (my [name]MIL[/name]'s) I was trying to honor with the naming of my [name]Finlay[/name].

I wanted to also mention to allyson that maybe three people have been stumped by [name]Finlay[/name]-- and said to me, “now do you pronounce that [name]Fin[/name]-le or [name]Fin[/name]-Lai?” And one has just said his name [name]Fin[/name]-lai, which for some reason drove me mildly (and silently) crazy. The only reason I could think to spell his name [name]Finley[/name] would be to avoid such misprounciations, which so far have been infrequent.

Sloppyart that is exactly the reason that I suggested [name]Finley[/name] in the first place, there is no either or with that spelling, and although the majority on nameberry go for [name]Finlay[/name], we don’t want another mother to have to scream silently to herself everytime that her son’s name is mispronounced.

[name]True[/name], but then again, parents don’t change the spelling of names like [name]Murray[/name] or [name]Lindsay[/name] for fear people will pronounce them other than Mur-ee and [name]Lind[/name]-seee. It’s an interesting dilemna, whether to alter a name’s spelling for the sake of pronunciation–anyone considering [name]Seamus[/name], for example, knows the dilemna well.

[quote=“sloppyart”]

[name]True[/name], but then again, parents don’t change the spelling of names like [name]Murray[/name] or [name]Lindsay[/name] for fear people will pronounce them other than Mur-ee and [name]Lind[/name]-seee. It’s an interesting dilemna, whether to alter a name’s spelling for the sake of pronunciation–anyone considering [name]Seamus[/name], for example, knows the dilemna well.[/quote]

I agree with you but remember that [name]Finley[/name] is not a tryndee spelling but a bona fide Scottish boy’s name.

[name]Finley[/name] IS a trendeeee spelling. Not Scottish at all. I am Scottish and I have a [name]Finlay[/name], trust me, I know!

Look at the Scottish stats for an idea of how little [name]Finley[/name] is used there. When I told my great aunt that [name]Finlay[/name] is often spelt [name]Finley[/name] in [name]England[/name] she was open mouthed and said she’d never heard or seen it spelt that way before.

Sloppyart, if you are altering the spelling of [name]Finlay[/name] due to pronounciation worries, then why are you not considering spelling [name]Isla[/name] as Eyela? It’s the same issue [name]IMO[/name]!

My [name]Finlay[/name] mostly goes by [name]Finn[/name] anyway so we rarely have issues re pronounciation.

I thought [name]Finlay[/name]/[name]Finley[/name] was similar to [name]Ann[/name]/[name]Anne[/name] and [name]Isobel[/name]/[name]Isabel[/name]/[name]Iseabail[/name] that they were all legit?

[name]FINLEY[/name]
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Scottish
Anglicized form of FIONNLAGH

[name]FINLAY[/name]
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, Scottish
Anglicized form of FIONNLAGH

Behindthename are wrong. They are often incorrect when it comes to Irish and Scottish names. [name]Finlay[/name] is not Irish as BtN suggests.

[name]Finley[/name] is modern spelling of [name]Finlay[/name].

Surely the fact that [name]Finley[/name] is not used in [name]Scotland[/name] speaks volumes?

rogue, I didn’t alter the spelling of [name]Finlay[/name]–just as I, personally, wouldn’t alter the spelling of a name like [name]Seamus[/name] to avoid pronunciation difficulties. Were you confusing me with the original poster of this poll?

I went for [name]Finley[/name] as i believe this is the correct one. When i pronounce [name]Finley[/name] it is [name]Fin[/name]-lee, and not [name]Fin[/name]-lay. Either are used though and pronounced the same way and maybe the A spelling does appear better next to [name]Isla[/name] xx

[quote=“sloppyart”]

rogue, I didn’t alter the spelling of [name]Finlay[/name]–just as I, personally, wouldn’t alter the spelling of a name like [name]Seamus[/name] to avoid pronunciation difficulties. Were you confusing me with the original poster of this poll?[/quote]

Apologies! Yes I meant the original poster (alyson?)

[name]Hi[/name] I have done a little research through the Scottish Government Dept who records the statistics for births in [name]Scotland[/name].

I was able to find out the most popular names in 1900,1950,1975.

I could find no record of a [name]Finley[/name] in these years.

In 1900 the name [name]Finlay[/name] was ranked #75.

In the years 1950 and 1975 there was NO record of a [name]Finlay[/name] or [name]Finley[/name].

Therefore one can only assume that [name]Finlay[/name] is a rarely used name in [name]Scotland[/name].