Finlay

Meaning: (Fair Warrior, White, Fair Haired Warrior, Anglicized form of Fionnlagh, The legendary hero Finn Mac Cumhaill was famous for his wisdom and fairness. He was a leader of the Fenians or Fiannna, a band of warriors about whom many stories are told.

This is an Old Scottish name, from the Gaelic personal name "Fionnlagh", which is composed of the elements "fionn", meaning "white, fair", with "laoch", warrior or hero. The name was early reinforced by the Old Norse personal name "Finnleikr", composed of the elements "Finn" as above, and "leikr", meaning "play, sport". As a personal name "Finlay" is first recorded in circa 1070 as "Fionnlaoich", and in the Book of Leinster, the name of MacBeth's father is spelled "Findlech" (1070); "Fynlai" was provost of Stirling in 1327. The modern surname has a number of forms, ranging from Finlay, Findlay, Finley and Findley, to Finlow and Findlow. In the Western Isle of Lewis, the fairies are called in Gaelic "Muinntir Fhionlaidh", Finlay's people. In Northumberland the name appears in 1609 as Phinley, one John Phinley marrying Isabell Simpson at St. Nicholas' Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whilst on May 30th 1699, Joh: Finlay married Doro: Watson at St. John's Church, also in the City of Newcastle. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Andrew Fyndelai, Chaplain of Brechin, which was dated 1526, Register of the Church of Brechin, during the reign of King James V of Scotland, 1513 - 1542. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Read more: http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/finlay#ixzz3BYyxycL0)

Origin: (Irish, Gaelic, Scottish, English)

Pronunciation: (FIN-lee)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I forget where I first heard this but I believe it may have been the name of a character one of the cosplayers on the Syfy show Heroes of Cosplay may have cosplayed as. I think this is a very good Irish name and looks very Irish or Scottish. The meanings are great and the history of it is good as well. This seems a very hero kind of name. I am not a huge fan of Finn or Fin names but this I don’t mind as much because it adds to the shortened Finn. I can see a character on a great quest in a fantasy novel being named this. Or rather seeing fairies in a particular place are named this perhaps a fairy man could be named this, which may be kind of really cool.