Pronunciation
Fin-oh-la
Meaning
White shoulder
Related forms: Fionnuala (related irish form).
Alternate spellings
Fionnuala; Nuala
Fun fact
Finola is an anglicised spelling of Fionnuala. Fionnuala is the sister in the Children of Lir. She and her three brothers are turned into swans for 900 years. It’s one of those Irish stories we all learn in school. Fionn means fair or white, and guala means shoulder. That’s how the fair-shouldered meaning comes together in the older form Fionnghuala.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Finola, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Number of babies registered each year
Less than 3 babies were registered with this spelling in each of these years.
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2024 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2023 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2022 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2021 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2020 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2019 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2018 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2017 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2016 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2015 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2014 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2013 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2012 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2011 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2010 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2009 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2008 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2007 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2006 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2005 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2004 | 3 | #677 |
| 2003 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2002 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2001 | Less than 3 | - |
| 2000 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1999 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1998 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1997 | 4 | #496 |
| 1996 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1995 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1994 | 4 | #450 |
| 1993 | 7 | #356 |
| 1992 | 4 | #456 |
| 1991 | 4 | #457 |
| 1990 | Less than 3 | - |
| 1989 | 4 | #445 |
| 1988 | 4 | #442 |
| 1987 | 7 | #362 |
| 1986 | 5 | #422 |
| 1985 | 9 | #325 |
| 1984 | 4 | #459 |
| 1983 | 11 | #298 |
| 1982 | 11 | #312 |
| 1981 | 4 | #471 |
| 1980 | 8 | #352 |
| 1979 | 6 | #391 |
| 1978 | 14 | #266 |
| 1977 | 17 | #240 |
| 1976 | 7 | #344 |
| 1975 | 23 | #205 |
| 1974 | 14 | #264 |
| 1973 | 19 | #232 |
| 1972 | 22 | #208 |
| 1971 | 28 | #189 |
| 1970 | 27 | #175 |
| 1969 | 25 | #183 |
| 1968 | 16 | #207 |
| 1967 | 16 | #200 |
| 1966 | 26 | #162 |
| 1965 | 27 | #155 |
| 1964 | 25 | #149 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.