Finley is the anglicized form of the Gaelic Fionnlagh and means "fair-haired hero" or "white warrior", from fionn, white or fair, and laoch, hero. It was a Scottish given name and clan surname long before it became a first name for both sexes in the United States. Among American boys Finley entered the top 1000 in 2006, peaked at number 265 in 2021 and ranks number 333 in 2025.