Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh.

• Findláech of Moray Finlay McRory, Mormaer (Lord) of Moray, MacBeth's father
• Finlay Mickel, Scottish skier
• Finlay Currie, Scottish actor (1878-1968)
• Finlay Calder, former Scotland rugby player
• Finlay Freundlich (1885-1864), Astronomer
• Finlay Crisp (1917-1984), Australian academic and political scientist
• Finlay Dow-Smith "Starsmith" Music Producer
• Finlay Speedie (18 August 1880 – 5 February 1953) was a Scottish footballer who played for Rangers and Newcastle United in the 1900s
• Finlay Welsh, Actor
• Finlay Colini Fionnlagh MacCailein (died 1419) was a medieval Scottish Bishop
• Finlay Robertson, Actor
• Finlay William Jackson (1901-1941), Cricketer and Rugby Union player
• Finlay Crerar, Royal Air Force Officer
• Finlay McNaughton Young (1852-1916), Canadian Senator
• Finlay Macdonald, several people
  • Finlay Macdonald (moderator), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
  • Finlay MacDonald (musician), Scottish keyboardist
  • Finlay MacDonald (politician) (born 1866), Canadian Member of Parliament for Cape Breton South, Nova Scotia
  • Finlay MacDonald (senator) (1923-2002), Canadian senator

• Carlos Finlay, Cuban doctor who first identified mosquitoes as a disease carrier
• Chase Finlay, New York City Ballet dancer
• Charles Coleman Finlay, an American science fiction and fantasy author
• Dave Finlay, Northern Irish professional wrestler, currently in World Wrestling Entertainment
• David Finlay, Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Donald Finlay, (1909 – 1970) was an Olympian British athlete who competed mainly in the 110 metre hurdles, and RAF pilot.
• Dr. Finlay, a fictional character created by author A. J. Cronin
• Erwin Findlay-Freundlich, German astronomer and businessman
• Fergus Finlay
• Frank Finlay, British stage, film and television actor
• Harold John Finlay a New Zealand paleontologist and conchologist
• George Finlay, Scottish-English historian
• Ian Hamilton Finlay, Scottish poet and writer
• Jaco Finlay, Canadian settler in what is now the U.S. state of Oregon
• Katrina Finlay, fictional character of the British TV series Monarch of the Glen
• Martyn Finlay, New Zealand politician and lawyer
• Mary Lou Finlay, Canadian journalist
• Peter Warren Finlay, the birthname of D.B.C. Pierre, Australian writer
• Robert Finlay, 1st Viscount Finlay
• Virgil Finlay, science fiction illustrator
• William Henry Finlay, South African astronomer