Finnian is an Irish name derived from the Old Irish finn or fionn and means "fair" or "white". Saint Finnian of Clonard founded a monastery in the 6th century that trained a generation of Irish saints, which is why he is called the teacher of the saints of Ireland. In the United States Finnian peaked at number 1059 in 2016 and has eased since to number 1487 in 2025.