Sean
Sean is a boy's name of Irish origin.
Meaning
God is gracious.
Origin and history
Sean is the Irish Gaelic form of John, which traces back through Latin and Greek to Hebrew. It gained substantial popularity in the United States during the mid-to-late 20th century and remains a classic masculine choice.
Popularity in the United States
423,637 babies in the United States have been named Sean since 1880. It ranks #80 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #397.
States where it is most popular
- CA (13.7 %)
- NY (9.9 %)
- PA (6 %)
- TX (5 %)
- IL (4.9 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 12 |
| 1930-1940 | 101 |
| 1940-1950 | 659 |
| 1950-1960 | 5,452 |
| 1960-1970 | 47,282 |
| 1970-1980 | 83,819 |
| 1980-1990 | 103,870 |
| 1990-2000 | 92,003 |
| 2000-2010 | 64,133 |
| 2010-2019 | 21,540 |
| 2020-2029 | 4,766 |
Famous people named Sean
- Sean Connery: Actor
- Sean Penn: Actor, Director
- Sean Astin: Actor
Fun facts
- The name developed in Ireland following the Norman invasion as an adaptation of the French name Jean.
- Anglicized variants such as Shaun and Shawn gained popularity alongside the traditional Irish spelling Sean.