Actress Tori Spelling, during an interview
Actress Tori Spelling, during an interview (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tori and Dean have done it again!  Welcome to the world, Finn Davey.

Finn joins big sisters Stella Doreen and Hattie Margaret, brother Liam Aaron and Dean’s son, Jack.

The McDermotts tend to choose names that are rising favorites.  Finn is no exception.  He ranked #304 in 2011, down from #299 in 2010.  But he’s been catching on quickly since 2000, and Finnegan, Finley, and Griffin all rank in the Top 1000, too.  There’s also Flynn, a name that debuted in the rankings in 2011.

Borrowed from Irish legend, Finn was known for his heroic feats.  When Mark Twain gave the name to Huck Finn, he took on a gloss of classic Americana and all-boy adventure.  Small screen Finns have exploded in recent years, from the animated Adventure Time to the musical Glee.  Julia Roberts welcomed Phinnaeus in 2004, and plenty of spins on Finn have been plentiful.

Their new son’s middle name also conforms to the pattern they have established.  Aaron, Doreen, and Margaret all honor important people in their lives – her dad, his mom, and Tori’s nanny.

Davey is a surname related to David, and Finn shares his middle with mom.

Tori’s full name is Victoria Davey.  Her middle name was ahead of its time.  She was named after her paternal grandfather, David Spelling.  Passing on the family middle to a son is both stylish and nicely egalitarian.

Will Tori share her motivation for choosing Finn?  She’s mentioned that there was a boy name that she and Dean had in mind while expecting Hattie.  Since the birth announcement came out immediately, name and all, it seems a safe bet that Finn is their long favorite.

Now the only question is whether another high profile use of Finn will cause the name to rise in the rankings.  Liam and Stella were already on the rise when the McDermotts used the names.  Hattie returned to the US Top 1000 in 2011, the same year Hattie was born.  The family’s reality show has been renewed for a seventh season, suggesting that we’ll all be hearing much more about Finn.

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About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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9 Comments

  1. The only one of their kids names I like is Aaron (which around here sounds just like Erin). But Stella, Liam, Hattie & Finn do nothing for me. I do like their usage of meaningful to them middles, though.

    Congratulations to them, however. 2 boys & 2 girls, lovely!

  2. Noticed Jack, Liam, and Finn are each four letters while the girls both have six. Interesting. The new Alves-Mc baby is the one I’m really excited for!

    1. Baby woke up before I was done but wanted to add McAlves seem to like two syllable names with Vs in them with a live/life theme. I think they are the best namers in Hollyweird!

  3. I’m actually bummed – we also love Finn, but if it continues to rise, not sure if we’d want to use it. 🙁 We have an Oliver, which we love, but that name is rising as well. We have such a short list of boy names, sigh. I don’t think they made the names they chose popular at all, I simply thing the current trend is that more people are using older names. Simply put.

  4. I think she is a marvelous baby namer, but I have to disagree with you a bit, Abby–it seems to me Liam, Stella, and Finn were all quite popular before she used them–Hattie’s the outlier.

  5. That is fun that they (probably) got to use their long time favourite boy name. Finn definitely sounds like a brother to Liam. I guess I was expecting a more unusual name, based on their choice of Hattie.