Aaron vs Sean
Aaron and Seancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Sean #48 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Sean #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Aaron was ranked #78 and Sean #83 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2007, Aaron was ranked #81 and Sean #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Sean #234 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2022, Aaron was ranked #234 and Sean #496 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and Sean over time
Aaron and Sean appear together in 6 published lists, across 233 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Aaron in 2. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Aaron moved into the top 50 at #34 in 2018 as Sean fell out of it to #74, having been #5 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2007, Aaron moved ahead of Sean in New Zealand · Boys — #83 and #67 the year before became #78 and #83.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Sean changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1969 and 2007, ending at #81 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Aaron and Sean averaged 25.1 places apart, ending at #81 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Sean were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 38 years, from 1969 to 2007, ending at #81 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Sean #49 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1965–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sean in 52.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2018: Aaron moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #31 and #5; by 2018 that had become #34 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Sean #141.
New Zealand · Boys42 shared years, 1966–2007
Aaron held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Sean in 15.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1972, Sean #28 in 1995.
The order changed in 2007: Aaron moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #83 and #67; by 2007 that had become #78 and #83.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Aaron #78, Sean #83.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys38 shared years, 1969–2007
Aaron held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Sean in 5.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Sean #30 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Aaron #81, Sean #85.
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1978–2022
Aaron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sean in 24.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #162 in 2015, Sean #185 in 2007.
The order changed in 2011: Aaron moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #236 and #226; by 2011 that had become #261 and #338.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Aaron #234, Sean #496.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sean in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Sean #638.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Sean in 16.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Sean #13 in 2001.
The order changed in 2013: Sean moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #23 and #41; by 2013 that had become #39 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Sean #48.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ʃɔːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Sean is recorded with a Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John origin.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sean.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Sean's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Sean
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #82 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys