Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Sean

The name Sean is the Irish form of the English name John which is derived from the French form Jean. In Ireland, the name is traditionally spelled with an accent over the “a” as in Seán (and pronounced SHAWN). The original French form (Jean) was brought to Ireland by way of the Normans in the Middle Ages and quickly adopted in the form of Seán, but also Seón and Seaghán. In Scotland, the name was transformed into Ian. Interestingly, in the south of Ireland, the name is pronounced “shawn” but the Northern Irish elocution is more typically “Shane.” In Ireland, Sean is almost always in position #1 or #2 as the most heavily used boys’ name. It is also a popular name in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is no longer a Top 100 choice in England, Australia, Canada or the United States.

All About the Baby Name – Sean

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME SEAN

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME SEAN

Americans adopted the name Sean in the early 1940’s and it swiftly entered the Top 100 list of most favored boys’ names in 1965. For over 30 years, Sean was a Top 50 pick during the latter half of the 20th century, but started to fall in popularity by 2000. The year 2010 marks the first time in 45 straight years that Sean hasn’t been on the Top 100 list. The more phonetic spellings of Shawn and Shaun are also in use in the United States, but since they are both used for girls occasionally, the more popular Sean is ranked higher for boys. American parents are still very enamored with names of Irish or Celtic origin, but boy’s names like Sean, Patrick and Kevin appear to be giving way to names like Aiden, Ryan, and Logan. Sean is a perennial Irish favorite, and given its current lack of trendiness in America, perhaps the name will attract parents who like Irish names but don’t care about following the masses.

Quick Facts

ON SEAN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

185

PRONUNCIATION:

SHAWN

SIMPLE MEANING:

The Lord is gracious, God’s gracious gift

Characteristics

OF SEAN

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Sean

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME SEAN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Sean

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME SEAN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Sean


Popular Songs

ON SEAN

Sean Flynn
a song by The Clash

Sean's Theme
a song by Sean Lennon

Sean's in the Sky
a song by John Lennon

Famous People

NAMED SEAN

Sean Connery (actor)
Sean Penn (actor)
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs (musician)
Sean Astin (actor)
Sean Hayes (actor)
Sean Paul (reggae artist)
Sean Kingston (singer)
Sean Hannity (TV personality)
Sean Lennon (musician)

Children of Famous People

NAMED SEAN

Britney Spears;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME SEAN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Sean