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Finnuala

“The name Finnuala means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," deriving from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder").”

Irish · Girl · 3 syllables

F
Top 1,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#518
TrendVintage
Peak year1966
Syllables3
OriginIrish
LanguageIrish
CultureIrish
Letters8
Numerology33 Chaldean 3
Global rank#518

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Finnuala

The name Finnuala means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," deriving from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder").

Cross-referenced with Behind the Name and Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The name Finnuala means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," deriving from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder"). It is used in Irish and Scottish Gaelic cultures, notably in Irish mythology as the name of Fionnuala, the daughter of the sea god Lir, who was transformed into a swan in the tragic legend of the Children of Lir.

Finnuala currently ranks #518 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1966.

Variants & nicknames

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
Finlay
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"Finlay derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Fionnlagh, composed of "fionn" (fair/white) and "laogh" (warrior/hero), meaning "fair warrior" or "white…"

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Finley
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"Finley derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Fionnlagh, combining "fionn" (fair/white) and "laogh" (warrior), meaning "fair warrior" or "white warrior."…"

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Finnula
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"Finnula is an Irish feminine name derived from the Irish name Fionnuala, which combines "fionn" (fair/white) and "uala" (noble), meaning…"

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Finnley
Unisex English (Modern)

"The name Finnley means "fair warrior" or "white champion," derived from the Irish Gaelic elements *fionn* ("fair, white") and *laoch*…"

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Finuala
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"Finuala (also spelled Fionnuala or Fineola) means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Irish Gaelic elements "fionn" (white/fair) and…"

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Finnola
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"Finnola is an Irish feminine name derived from the Irish "Fionnuala," combining "fionn" (fair/white) and "uala" (shoulder), meaning "fair-shouldered" or…"

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Fionuala
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"The name Fionuala means "white-shouldered" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder")."

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Fionnuala
Girl Irish

"Fionnuala derives from the Irish Gaelic "Fionn" (fair/white) and "guala" (shoulder), literally meaning "fair-shouldered." The name is predominantly used in…"

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Finula
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"Finula is an anglicized form of the Irish name Fionnuala, meaning "fair shoulder" or "white shoulder," derived from the Old…"

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Fionula
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"The name Fionula means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder")."

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Fionnula
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"The name Fionnula means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder")."

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Fynlay
Boy Scottish Gaelic

"The name 'Fynlay' is a modern variant of the Scottish Gaelic name 'Fionnlagh', meaning "fair warrior" or "white warrior," derived…"

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