Chad vs Sean
Chad 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Chad was ranked #713 and Sean #5 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2008, Chad was ranked #328 and Sean #16 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Chad was ranked #94 and Sean #54 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Chad was ranked #4991 and Sean #574 among boys in England and Wales.
Chad and Sean over time
Chad and Sean appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Sean held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Chad in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Chad in none. 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Chad #248 in 1996, Sean #49 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2023
Chad held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sean in 28.
Highest recorded here: Chad #248 in 1996, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Chad #4991, Sean #574.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys10 shared years, 1974–1983
Chad held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sean in 10.
Highest recorded here: Chad #72 in 1980, Sean #40 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Chad #94, Sean #54.
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 | Chad | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ʃɔːn/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4991 (2023) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sean has a recorded origin (Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John); Chad does not have one recorded yet.
- Chad and Sean both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Sean; Chad doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Chad
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1974–1983
Highest recorded position: #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1980 (recorded 1974–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4991 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · 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