Finola
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- fin-OH-luh
- Origin
- Irish
Finola is a girls' name of Irish origin, meaning “fair shoulder”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Finola mean?
Irish: form of Fionnuala, from fionn 'fair' + guala 'shoulder'
“fair shoulder”
A form of Fionnuala; in Irish legend Fionnuala was one of the Children of Lir, turned into a swan.
Is Finola a girl's or a boy's name?
Finola is a girls' name.
How popular is Finola in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1997, with 13 girls.
Half of all the girls named Finola in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Finola in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | #4,253 |
| 2023 | 6 | #3,766 |
| 2022 | 7 | #3,347 |
| 2021 | 6 | #3,697 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 3 | #6,009 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 3 | #5,920 |
| 2013 | 3 | #6,003 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 3 | #5,938 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 3 | #5,259 |
| 2005 | 5 | #3,543 |
| 2004 | 5 | #3,356 |
| 2003 | 4 | #3,768 |
| 2002 | 4 | #3,556 |
| 2001 | 8 | #2,150 |
| 2000 | 7 | #2,304 |
| 1999 | 4 | #3,374 |
| 1998 | 7 | #2,304 |
| 1997 | 13 | #1,466 |
| 1996 | 10 | #1,741 |
How popular is Finola in the US?
No girls in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2007, with 20 girls. It first appears in the records in 1966.
Half of all the girls named Finola in the US since 1880 were born between 2006 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.
Finola in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7 | #12,237 |
| 2021 | 5 | #15,246 |
| 2020 | 9 | #10,245 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 8 | #11,422 |
| 2017 | 5 | #15,898 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 10 | #10,143 |
| 2014 | 6 | #14,552 |
| 2013 | 12 | #9,031 |
| 2012 | 13 | #8,628 |
| 2011 | 9 | #11,175 |
| 2010 | 11 | #9,786 |
| 2009 | 10 | #10,675 |
| 2008 | 7 | #13,827 |
| 2007 | 20 | #6,548 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9,282 |
| 2005 | 5 | #16,455 |
| 2004 | 7 | #12,754 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 6 | #13,589 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 6 | #11,801 |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 5 | #13,139 |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 5 | #6,563 |
Nicknames for Finola
Names like Finola
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Keira, Aoife, Kiara, Orla, Fionnuala, Sienna, Tiaraoluwa, Brianna, Maeva, Caoimhe, Chiara, Fiadh
Names related to Finola
More Irish names
Oscar, Rowan, Rory, Maeve, Finn, Aiden, Ryan, Nolan, Quinn, Cody, Erin, Ronan, Connor, Declan, Casey, Kennedy
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Finola: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/finola, updated 20 October 2026.