The Name of Each Finger in English

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Explore why your fingers each have a unique name

Co-authored by Sue Yang and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: February 9, 2026 Fact Checked

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Finger Names

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Name Origins

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“Finger” Origins

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Video

Whether you’re learning English and want to know what to call your fingers or you’re just curious about where names like “index finger” come from, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll review what each finger is called and where these names come from. You might be surprised by the interesting language history hidden in your hands!

What are the names of each finger?

An illustration of the hand showing the names of each of the 5 fingers.

From inside to outside, the fingers are named the thumb, index finger (pointer finger), middle finger, ring finger, and pinky (little finger) in English. Some names come from the finger’s size or location (like little finger or middle finger), and others come from their uses (like pointer finger or ring finger).

Section 1 of 3:

The Names of Every Finger on Your Hand

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1
Thumb The thumb is a unique finger—it only has 2 phalanges (finger/toe bones) instead of 3, like the other fingers, and some argue that it’s not really a finger at all! The thumb stands out as a strong and powerful digit. In fact, the English word “thumb” comes from the Proto-Indo-European word tum, which means “the swollen one,” “stout,” or “thick,” which describes its size and power.^{[1]
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- Other cultures also have names for the thumb that relate to strength. In Kurdish, it’s the “ram finger”; in some Native American languages, it’s the “chief finger”; in Turkish, it is the “head finger.”
- Medical name: Pollex (from the Latin pollere, “to be strong”)
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Index finger (pointer finger) The index finger gets its name from the Latin word indico, or “to point out.” This is why it’s also called the pointer finger! Even though it’s the second digit (after your thumb), it’s considered your first actual finger (it’s sometimes called the “forefinger” because of this).^{[2]
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- Many cultures throughout history have relied on this finger to show, teach, and point things out.
- Medical name: Digitus secundus manus (Latin for “second digit”)
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Middle finger The name of this finger is pretty self-explanatory—your middle finger is in the middle of your hand. It’s sometimes also called the “long finger” or the “tall finger” because of its size compared to your other digits.^{[3]
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- Fun fact: The middle finger has been associated with rude gestures since Roman times. They called it digitus impudicus or obscenus (the “shameless” or “lewd” finger) because of its phallic resemblance.^{[4]
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- Medical name: Digitus medius manus (Latin for “middle finger”)
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Ring finger This is another easy name to explain—humans have been putting rings on their fourth digit for millennia! The ancient Egyptians and Romans believed there was a vein that ran from this finger to the heart (the “lover’s vein”), which is why it’s customary in many cultures to put wedding rings on this finger.^{[5]
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Research source} In the Middle Ages, healers used this finger to apply treatments, calling it the “doctor finger” or “healing finger.”
- Not all cultures have a name for this finger. In Native American and Chinese cultures, it’s known as a nameless finger because it doesn’t serve a specific purpose as your other digits do.
- It may also be nameless in some languages because it’s hard to use independently. As instrumental music teacher Sue Yang explains, “The third and the fourth fingers have tendons joined together, so it's very hard to separate those fingers.”^{[6]
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  Sue Yang
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- Medical name: Digitus annularis or digitus medicinalus (Latin for “ring finger” or “medical finger”)
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Pinky (little finger) It’s fitting that your smallest, cutest finger gets a whimsical name like “pinky.” It comes from the Dutch word pink, which means “small.”^{[7]
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Research source} That doesn’t mean it’s weak, though: “Your pinky, surprisingly, can be stronger than the fourth (ring) finger,” Yang says.^{[8]
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Sue Yang
Instrumental Music Teacher

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- Lots of cultures have cute names for this finger, like “baby,” “youngest child,” or “last-born.”
- In Roman times, it was called the auricularis (the “ear finger”) because it was small enough to remove wax from your ears.^{[9]
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- Medical name: Digitus minimis manus (Latin for “smallest digit”)

Section 2 of 3:

Where do finger names come from?

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Fingers are often named for their appearance or most common use. Throughout history, humans from all over the world have settled on fairly similar names for their fingers. Some of these names, like “middle finger” or “little finger,” are obvious nods to the way they look. Others, like “pointer” finger” or “ring finger,” come from the way humans have been using them for thousands of years.
- Some of these uses are natural (like pointing at something with your first finger), while others are cultural (like putting a ring on your ring finger).

Section 3 of 3:

Where does the word “finger” come from?

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The English word “finger” comes from the Proto-Germanic word fingraz. Proto-Germanic is the reconstructed ancestor of today’s Germanic languages, including German, English, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic).^{[10]
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Research source} All of these languages use a word that looks and sounds very similar to the English “finger.”