Sean is a distinctive choice, ranked #638 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Sean in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#638
US Rank #436
About the Name Sean
Sean has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 129 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #49 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has featured in the UK top 100 for 13 years, demonstrating solid mainstream recognition.
Sean is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #436, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Sean
Unlikely. With around 59 UK babies named Sean per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Sean in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Sean has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 129 places in the last five years. Its peak was #49 in 1996. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Sean is more popular in the US (#436) than in the UK (#638). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Sean include: Sean Pertwee — Sean Carl Roland Pertwee is an English actor, narrator and producer.; Sean Miller — Sean Edward Miller is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as head coach at the University of Texas at Austin.; Sean Hayes — Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor, comedian, and producer..
Sean appears in the US top 500 at #436 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
59
UK babies named Sean (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 129 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Sean
Likely around 1 other Sean in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Sean
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Sean or Shawn Williams may refer to: Sean Williams (author), Australian author Sean Williams (basketball), American basketball player Sean Williams (cricketer), Zimbabwean all-rounder Sean Williams (entrepreneur), British entrepreneur Sean Williams (ethnomusicologist), American college professor Sean Williams (ice hockey), Canadian ice hockey center Sean Price Williams, American cinematographer Shawn Williams (lacrosse), Canadian lacrosse player Shawn Williams (American football), American football player Shawn Williams, 7-year-old child murdered in 1993.
Sean Carl Roland Pertwee is an English actor, narrator and producer. His credits include Chancer, Leon the Pig Farmer, Cadfael, Bodyguards, Event Horizon, Stiff Upper Lips, Soldier, Cleopatra, Love, Honour and Obey, Dog Soldiers, Julius Caesar, Ancient Rome: The Rise And Fall of an Empire – Caesar, Doomsday, Honest, Devil's Playground, Four, Wild Bill, Elementary, Howl, Gotham, Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse, You, Silent Witness, and The Night Caller.
Sean Edward Miller is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as head coach at the University of Texas at Austin. He previously served as head coach at the University of Arizona from 2009 to 2021 and Xavier University from 2004 to 2009 and then again from 2022 to 2025.
Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor, comedian, and producer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained acclaim for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for six Golden Globe Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award.
Sean Faris is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Tyler in Never Back Down, Kyo Kusanagi in The King of Fighters, and Rick Penning in Forever Strong.
Sean Yseult is an American rock musician who currently plays bass guitar in the band Star & Dagger. She has played various instruments with different bands since the mid-1980s, and is best known for playing bass in White Zombie.
Sean Kanan is an American actor, producer, author, and martial artist, best known for his portrayals of Mike Barnes (in The Karate Kid Part III and Cobra Kai), A. J.