The baby name Finola is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /fɪˈnoʊlə/ (Fih-NOH-lə).
Finola is Irish in Origin.
The baby name Finola is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /fɪˈnoʊlə/ (Fih-NOH-lə).
Finola is Irish in Origin.
Finola is the streamlined Anglicized form of Irish Fionnuala (earlier Fionnghuala), built from fionn "fair, bright" + guala "shoulder," yielding the poetic sense "fair-shouldered" or "white shoulders." The name is strongly tied to medieval Gaelic tradition and the legend of the Children of Lir, in which Fionnuala is transformed into a swan and embodies endurance and protectiveness. It appears in Irish annals and persisted among Gaelic families before waning, then re-emerging with the late-19th-century Celtic revival and gaining modest modern use in Ireland, Britain, and the diaspora.
Established variants and related forms include Fionnuala (Irish standard), Fionnghuala (Classical Gaelic), Nuala (short form), Fenella (Scots-English adaptation), and Finvola (Ulster). Finola itself reads contemporary and accessible to English speakers while preserving its Gaelic roots and evocative meaning.
| Finola Hughes Finola Hughes is best known for her role as Anna Devane on the soap opera General Hospital. She also starred in the film Staying Alive alongside John Travolta and appeared in the television series Charmed. Born in the United Kingdom in 1959, she has had a successful career in both television and film. |
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Girls | 2004 | #1 | — | 741 |
| CY | Girls | 0 | #125 | 1 | 3,755 |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #217 | 1 | 4,575 |
| NG | 0 | #272 | 1 | 5,926 | |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #289 | 1 | 8,139 |
| PH | Girls | 0 | #429 | 1 | 13,098 |
| ZA | 0 | #474 | 1 | 14,421 | |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #560 | 1 | 11,671 |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #597 | 1 | 20,968 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #632 | 1 | 18,916 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #650 | 1 | 16,104 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #826 | 1 | 15,093 |
| United States | Girls | 2022 | #897 | 7 | 8,739 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,071 | 2 | 24,821 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,233 | 4 | 25,928 |
| DZ | 0 | #1,234 | 1 | 20,130 |
Finola is popular in 13 countries — most recent births per country:
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