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ArchivesIs there are more correct anglicization of Fionnlagh (Finley or Finlay)?
On this site is just says that they are both anglicizations of Fionnlagh.
But is there an older, more ancient, more correct one? For some reason Finlay looks way more authentic to me than Finley but maybe I'm wrong.
Does anyone know?
Finlay seems to be way more popular in Scotland than Finley and they usually go for traditional spellings (e.g. Alison over Allison, Caitlin over Kaitlyn, Hayley over Hailey).
In England + Wales Finley is more popular.
Please rate my list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/6232
But is there an older, more ancient, more correct one? For some reason Finlay looks way more authentic to me than Finley but maybe I'm wrong.
Does anyone know?
Finlay seems to be way more popular in Scotland than Finley and they usually go for traditional spellings (e.g. Alison over Allison, Caitlin over Kaitlyn, Hayley over Hailey).
In England + Wales Finley is more popular.
Please rate my list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/6232
3
Replies
Finlay is the traditional Anglicized form. Finley seems to be a modern variant.
1
George Black says that the father of Macbeth was called Finnleikr in the Flateyjarbók, though that was most likely written in 1394, and is therefore not a contemporary source, and it probably just indicates that Norsemen interpreted the name in terms of name elements that they understood. Likewise, it may be the case that the -ley form arose by association with names such as Ashley.
2