Fun Facts About the Name Fionnuala
- 164 babies named Fionnuala: U.S. records list 164 babies given the name Fionnuala from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Fionnuala Mean?
Fionnuala is an Irish name meaning "fair-shouldered" or "white-shouldered." It comes from the Irish elements fionn, meaning "fair" or "white," and guala, meaning "shoulder." The Irish spelling is Fionnghuala; the common English form Fionnuala drops the written gh of the lenited second element. The literal sense describes physical appearance, and the usual English rendering is a customary translation rather than a separate symbolic meaning.
Fionnuala Name History & Origins
The name is best known from Irish tradition as the name of Fionnuala, the eldest daughter of Lir in the tale Oidheadh Chlainne Lir, usually called "The Children of Lir" in English. In the story, Fionnuala and her brothers Aodh, Fiachra, and Conn are turned into swans by their stepmother Aoife and wander for centuries; Fionnuala leads and comforts the others until the spell is broken.
The tale is a literary and traditional association, not evidence that the name was invented for the character. The story is often grouped with the Three Sorrows of Storytelling in Irish literature. The name has been used in Ireland in the forms Fionnghuala and Fionnuala, and English-language use has produced anglicized forms such as Finola and the shortened Nuala.
How Popular is the Name Fionnuala?
Fionnuala has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2010. Its best rank was #9,258 in 2003.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,770 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #16,027 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #12,563 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #9,801 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #14,010 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #10,760 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #11,770 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #10,344 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #13,466 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #11,294 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #15,245 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #15,587 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #13,830 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #9,416 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #16,060 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #14,410 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #14,062 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #17,333 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #9,258 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #16,293 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #15,187 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #14,168 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #11,205 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Fionnuala Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are kind, home-loving, hospitable and friendly. Since you take responsibility well, you are a good organizer of social affairs. Compassion for others is an outstanding trait. You are a great lover and a great flirt – an artist, musician, actor, teacher, nurse. Your character can be contradictory. You are practical, yet idealistic and intuitive; capable of selfless devotion to someone you love, yet look to receive payback. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Fionnuala's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Fionnuala's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.