Boy nameCurrently #436 in the USFalling
Sean
SHAWN//ʃɔːn//
1 syllablePeak year: 19904 lettersStarts with S
Meaning & origin
God is gracious (Irish form of John)
Sean is the Irish form of John, sharing its Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. Its clean, internationally familiar sound has made it a steady favorite across the English-speaking world since the mid-20th century.
Sean's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Sean |
|---|---|
| 1925 | 7 |
| 1926 | 5 |
| 1930 | 7 |
| 1932 | 5 |
| 1933 | 7 |
| 1934 | 8 |
| 1935 | 12 |
| 1936 | 12 |
| 1937 | 13 |
| 1938 | 18 |
| 1939 | 24 |
| 1940 | 35 |
| 1941 | 33 |
| 1942 | 50 |
| 1943 | 48 |
| 1944 | 47 |
| 1945 | 50 |
| 1946 | 55 |
| 1947 | 103 |
| 1948 | 120 |
| 1949 | 135 |
| 1950 | 172 |
| 1951 | 160 |
| 1952 | 223 |
| 1953 | 390 |
| 1954 | 427 |
| 1955 | 500 |
| 1956 | 598 |
| 1957 | 794 |
| 1958 | 1,025 |
| 1959 | 1,300 |
| 1960 | 1,443 |
| 1961 | 1,750 |
| 1962 | 1,856 |
| 1963 | 2,218 |
| 1964 | 3,046 |
| 1965 | 4,634 |
| 1966 | 6,554 |
| 1967 | 7,560 |
| 1968 | 9,263 |
| 1969 | 9,423 |
| 1970 | 10,420 |
| 1971 | 10,587 |
| 1972 | 9,504 |
| 1973 | 8,613 |
| 1974 | 8,352 |
| 1975 | 7,650 |
| 1976 | 7,616 |
| 1977 | 7,674 |
| 1978 | 7,108 |
| 1979 | 6,907 |
| 1980 | 7,650 |
| 1981 | 8,953 |
| 1982 | 9,422 |
| 1983 | 9,708 |
| 1984 | 10,096 |
| 1985 | 11,553 |
| 1986 | 11,879 |
| 1987 | 11,543 |
| 1988 | 11,897 |
| 1989 | 11,984 |
| 1990 | 12,070 |
| 1991 | 11,257 |
| 1992 | 11,161 |
| 1993 | 10,249 |
| 1994 | 8,900 |
| 1995 | 8,220 |
| 1996 | 7,944 |
| 1997 | 7,797 |
| 1998 | 7,747 |
| 1999 | 7,243 |
| 2000 | 7,366 |
| 2001 | 7,259 |
| 2002 | 7,053 |
| 2003 | 7,137 |
| 2004 | 6,798 |
| 2005 | 6,024 |
| 2006 | 6,664 |
| 2007 | 6,253 |
| 2008 | 5,498 |
| 2009 | 4,352 |
| 2010 | 3,754 |
| 2011 | 3,199 |
| 2012 | 2,790 |
| 2013 | 2,216 |
| 2014 | 2,125 |
| 2015 | 1,901 |
| 2016 | 1,676 |
| 2017 | 1,481 |
| 2018 | 1,330 |
| 2019 | 1,128 |
| 2020 | 983 |
| 2021 | 900 |
| 2022 | 803 |
| 2023 | 740 |
| 2024 | 734 |
Sean through the decades
- Sean peaked in 1990, when 12,070 babies were named Sean in the US.
- The 1980s were Sean's strongest decade, averaging 10,469 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Sean has fallen 73% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Sean currently ranks #436 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Sean
Variants & spellings
ShawnSeán
Famous people named Sean
- Sean Connery — actor