Boy · #479 in 2026

Sean

Name: Popularity of the name Sean in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Sean, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Hiberno-English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name Yohanan, Seán and Séan, rendered John in English and Johannes/Johann/Johan in other Germanic languages. The Norman French Jehan is another version.

Irish
English

Current Rank

#479

Peak Rank

#33 (1990)

Total Babies

424K

5-Yr Trend

-38%

1939

First Year

2024

Last Year

1988

Peak Year

#1376

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Sean

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

Irish
English

Origin & history

The name was adopted into the Irish language most likely from Jean , the French variant of the Hebrew name Yohanan . As Irish has no letter ⟨ j ⟩ (derived from ⟨ i ⟩ ; English also lacked ⟨ j ⟩ until the late 17th Century, with John previously been spelt Iohn ), it is substituted by ⟨ s ⟩ , as was the normal Gaelic practice for adapting Biblical names that contain ⟨ j ⟩ in other languages ( Sine / Siobhàn for Joan/Jane/Anne/Anna ; Seonaid / Sinéad for Janet ; Seumas / Séamus for James ; Seosamh / Seòsaidh for Joseph , etc.). In 1066, the Norman duke, William the Conqueror conquered England, wh

The Story of Sean

American parents first put Sean on the record books as a baby boy name in 1925, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1990, when 12,018 Seans were born — ranking #37 that year. About 24% of every Sean on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Sean ranks #479 for baby boys with 652 births, falling sharply (-38%). All told, over 424K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Sean

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Sean. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Sean

Phonetically similar names — useful when Sean is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sean

What does the name Sean mean?

What is the origin of the name Sean?

Sean has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Irish, English.

How popular is Sean in 2026?

In 2026, Sean ranks #479 among boys' names in the U.S., with 652 babies given the name that year.

When was Sean most popular?

Sean reached its peak popularity in 1990, ranking #33 that year with 12,018 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Sean most popular?

Sean has historically been most popular in Hawaii, U.S. Territories, District of Columbia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Sean.

Is Sean a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Sean is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Sean?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Sean include Frederick, Franklin, Rodney. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Sean?

Common variants and related forms of Sean include Seán, Shane, Shaun, Shawn, Shon. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Sean

Sean is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1925 and has accumulated 424K births in the dataset. Sean's peak popularity came in 1990 when it ranked #33. Use the chart and map above to compare Sean's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.