Sean is a male given name of Irish origin. It is derived from the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, which means "descendant of Seán". Seán itself is an Irish form of the English name John, meaning "God is gracious" or "gift from God".
The name Sean has been used in Ireland for centuries and was traditionally given to boys born around the time of Christmas. However, its popularity as a given name has increased significantly in recent years both in Ireland and internationally.
In literature and popular culture, Sean has been used as a character name in numerous works, including "Sean O'Casey" by George Bernard Shaw, "Sean" by John Updike, and the James Bond film "GoldenEye". This exposure has likely contributed to its growing popularity as a given name.
Here are some interesting statistics about the name Sean in the United States:
From 1925 to 1969, the number of babies named Sean ranged from a low of 7 births in 1925 to a high of 9343 births in 1969. The name's popularity grew significantly during this period.
In 1964, there were 3006 births with the name Sean, marking a significant increase compared to previous years. This trend continued into the 1960s and 1970s, with over 9000 babies named Sean in both 1968 and 1969.
The peak popularity of the name Sean was reached in 1985, with 11454 births. This number remained high throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, showing that the name had become quite popular during this time.
However, after reaching its peak, the popularity of the name Sean began to decline steadily. In 2005, there were only 5997 births with the name Sean, which was a significant drop from previous years.
Since then, the number of babies named Sean has continued to decrease, reaching an all-time low of 739 births in 2023. Despite this decline, the name Sean remains relatively popular today, with over 800 births annually since 2016.
In total, from 1925 to 2023, there have been a remarkable 422289 babies named Sean in the United States, making it one of the most popular names for boys during that time period.