Finley (name)

Finley is both a surname and given name. Its meaning is of Scottish origin, from the Gaelic personal name Fionnlagh (Old Irish Findlaech), composed of the elements fionn "white", "fair" (see Finn) + laoch "warrior", "hero", which seems to have been reinforced by an Old Norse personal name composed of the elements finn "Finn" + leikr "fight", "battle", "hero".

Finley is a popular given name both in the US and the UK. In the US, it is more common for girls (it is ranked 279th most common name for boys),[1] but in the UK it is primarily a male name ranking 35th most common boy name in 2016.[2]

Notable people with the name include:

Surname

• Albert Ernest Finley (1870 –1923), Canadian physician and political figure
• Amy Finley (born 1973), American cook and writer
• Art Finley (1926—2015), American television and radio personality
• Asa Finley (1788–1853), first elected judge of Arrow Rock, Missouri, 1824
• Ben Finley broadcast journalist who is the Editorial Producer with “Anderson Cooper 360” which broadcasts on CNN
• Bob Finley (1915–1986), American baseball catcher
• Brian Finley (born 1981), Canadian ice hockey player
• Carl A. Finley (1924–2002), American minority owner of the Kansas City A's
• Chad Finley (born 1992), American professional stock car racing driver and team owner
• Charles Finley (politician) (1865–1941), U.S. Representative from Kentucky
• Charles Finley (coach) (1907–1972), college basketball coach for the Idaho Vandals, UTEP Miners, Southern Miss Golden Eagles
• Charles M. Finley (1899–1958), businessman and politician from Philadelphia
• Charlie Finley (1918–1996), businessman and Oakland Athletics owner
• Chuck Finley (born 1962), American baseball pitcher
• Clement Finley (1797–1879), 10th Surgeon General of the United States Army
• David Finley Jr. (born 1958), Northern Irish professional wrestling trainer, producer and former professional wrestler
• David E. Finley (1861–1917), United States Representative from South Carolina
• Diane Finley (born 1957), Canadian politician
• Donna Finley, American politician
• Doug Finley (1946–2013), Canadian politician and Campaign Director for the Conservative Party of Canada during 2006 and 2008 elections
• Ebenezer B. Finley (1833–1916) was a U.S. Representative from Ohio, nephew of Stephen Ross Harris
• Evelyn Finley (1916–1989), American actress and stuntwoman
• Francis Finley (1882 – c. 1943), British-born Australian rugby union player
• Frank Finley Merriam (186 –1955), the 28th governor of California from 1934 to 1939
• Gary Finley (born 1970), English former professional football central defender and non-league manager
• Gary Wade Finley Jr., American multiple time champion
• Gerald Finley (born 1960), Canadian bass-baritone opera singer
• Gerry Finley-Day (born 1947), Scottish comics writer
• Gregory Finley (born 1984), American actor
• Guy Finley (born 1949), American self-help writer, philosopher, spiritual teacher, and former professional songwriter and musician
• Holly Finale' Finley, American professional disc golfer
• Hugh F. Finley (1833–1909), U.S. Representative from Kentucky, father of Charles Finley
• James Finley (engineer) (1756–1828), American judge and bridge designer
• James Finley (minister) (1725–1795), American Presbyterian minister
• James I. Finley, American former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology in the U.S. Department of Defense
• James "John" Finley Gruber (1928–2011), American teacher and early LGBT rights activist
• James Bradley Finley (1781–1856), United States Methodist elder and minister
• Jeanne C. Finley (born 1962) American artist who works with representational media including film, photography, and video
• Jeffrey Finley (born 1991), Canadian football player
• Jermichael Finley (born 1987), American football tight end
• Jesse J. Finley (1812–1904), American member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida and the mayor of Memphis
• Joe Finley (born 1987), American ice hockey player
• John Finley (musician) (born 1945), Canadian singer/songwriter
• John Finley Williamson (1887–1964), American founder of the Westminster Choir and co-founder of Westminster Choir College
• John Huston Finley (1863–1940), American educator
• John "Jack" Lawrence Finley (1935–2006), a United States Navy aviator and astronaut
• John Park Finley (1854–1943), American meteorologist and Army officer; tornado researcher
• Joseph Cameron Finley (born 1987), American former child actor and molecular biologist
• Julie Finley the United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
• Karen Finley (born 1956), American performance artist
• Lucinda Finley (born 1950), American professor and attorney appellant
• Lucy Sherrard Atkinson (née Finley) (1817–1893), English explorer and author who travelled throughout Central Asia and Siberia
• Martha Finley (1828–1909), teacher, author
• Mason Finley (born 1990), American shot putter and discus thrower
• Matt Finley (born 1951), American flugelhorn player and composer of Brazilian jazz
• Michael Finley (born 1973), American basketball player
• Mike Finley (1950–2020), American writer, poet, and videographer
• Mitch Finley (born 1945), American religious writer
• Morgan M. Finley (1925–2016), American politician and businessman
• Moses I. Finley (1912–1986), American and English historian
• Otis E. Finley Sr. (1898–1979), American football coach
• Reginald Vaughn Finley Sr. (born 1974), American internet radio host and atheist
• Robert Finley (1772–1817), American academic, minister and co-organizer of the colonization movement to Liberia
• Robert Finley (musician), American blues and soul singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• Ron Finley, American fashion designer
• Ron Finley (American football), American former football coach
• Ronald Finley[ (1940–2016), American wrestler
• Ruth Finley (1920–2018), American businesswoman who was the founder and publisher of The Fashion Calendar
• Ryan Finley (businessman), American founder of SurveyMonkey, an online survey software provider
• Ryan Finley (soccer) (born 1991), American former professional soccer player
• Ryan Finley (American football) (born 1994), American football player
• Sam Finley (born 1992), English professional football midfielder
• Samuel Finley (1715–1766), American Presbyterian minister and prominent academic
• Samuel Finley Brown Morse (1885–1969), American environmental conservationist and the developer
• Samuel Finley Patterson (1799–1874), American politician, planter, and businessman
• Samuel Finley Vinton (1792–1862), American member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio
• Stephanie A. Finley (born 1966), American judge
• Steve Finley (born 1965), American baseball center fielder
• Susan G. Finley, an American researcher and the longest-serving woman in NASA
• William James Finley (1863–1912), American professional baseball player
• William Asa Finley (1839–1912), first president of Oregon State University in the United States
• William Finley (actor) (1940–2012), American actor
• William L. Finley (1876–1953), American wildlife photographer and conservationist
• William Finley (actor), American film actor

Given name

• Finley Duncan (died 1989), American singer who worked with independent record companies in Florida
• Finley Jeffrey (born 1969), also known as "Scholar" and "King Scholar", American Grenadian calypsonian, Soca Artiste and songwrite
• Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936), American writer and humorist
• Finley Lockwood (born 2008), daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood
• Finley Quaye (born 1974), Scottish musician
• William Finley Semple (1832–1923), American dentist, commonly referred to as the first person anywhere to patent a chewing gum

References

1. OACT. "Popular Baby Names". www.ssa.gov. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
2. Busby, Mattha; agency (2017-09-20). "Olivia and Oliver were 2016's top baby names in England and Wales". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-03-05.