Andrew vs Sean
Andrew 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, Andrew was ranked #216 and Sean #48 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2007, Andrew was ranked #50 and Sean #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Andrew was ranked #84 and Sean #83 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Andrew was ranked #104 and Sean #234 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Andrew was ranked #106 and Sean #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Andrew was ranked #315 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2016, Andrew was ranked #402 and Sean #417 among boys in Norway.
Andrew and Sean over time
Andrew and Sean appear together in 6 published lists, across 243 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Andrew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sean in 1. 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2001, Sean moved ahead of Andrew in Northern Ireland · Boys — #16 and #20 the year before became #20 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Andrew and Sean changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #315 and #638.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 44 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Andrew and Sean averaged 40.8 places apart, ending at #50 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Andrew and Sean were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1963 to 2007, ending at #50 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Andrew #29 in 1996, Sean #49 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Andrew held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sean in 47.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #16 in 1992, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Andrew #106, Sean #141.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1963–2007
Andrew held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Sean in 3.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #2 in 1975, Sean #28 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Andrew #84, Sean #83.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1963–2007
Andrew held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Sean in 0.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #4 in 1970, Sean #29 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Andrew #50, Sean #85.
Norway · Boys35 shared years, 1965–2016
Andrew held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Sean in 18.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #232 in 1967, Sean #185 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Andrew #402, Sean #417.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Andrew held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Sean in 4.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #29 in 1996, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Andrew #315, Sean #638.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Andrew held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sean in 24.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #5 in 1997, Sean #13 in 2001.
The order changed in 2001: Sean moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #16 and #20; by 2001 that had become #20 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Andrew #216, 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 | Andrew | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The English form of Greek Andreas, from 'andreios' ('manly, masculine'), itself from 'aner' ('man'). The apostle Andrew was the first disciple to join Jesus and is patron saint of Scotland. | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | Greek, biblical | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæn.dɹuː/ | /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 #106 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Andrew is recorded with a Greek, biblical origin, while Sean is recorded with a Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John origin.
- Andrew has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sean.
- Andrew'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
Andrew
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2013
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–2013).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #106 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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