Conor vs Sean
Conor 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 2025, Conor was ranked #16 and Sean #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1996, Conor was ranked #98 and Sean #31 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #51 and Sean #48 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #181 and Sean #234 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #422 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
Conor and Sean over time
Conor and Sean appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Sean held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Conor in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Conor reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 2013, Conor moved ahead of Sean in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #5 and #4 the year before became #4 and #5.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Conor and Sean changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #16 and #141.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Conor and Sean averaged 15.3 places apart, ending at #51 and #48.
- Longest-running competitions
Conor and Sean were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #16 and #141.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conor #57 in 1998, Sean #49 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Conor held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Sean in 44.
Highest recorded here: Conor #1 in 1995, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2013: Conor moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #5 and #4; by 2013 that had become #4 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conor #16, Sean #141.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sean in 19.
Highest recorded here: Conor #57 in 1998, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order changed in 2016: Conor moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #344 and #284; by 2016 that had become #221 and #359.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #422, Sean #638.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Sean in 1.
Highest recorded here: Conor #4 in 1997, Sean #13 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #51, 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 | Conor | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Conchobar (Modern Irish Conchúr), from the elements 'cú' ('dog, hound') and 'cobar'. | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | Irish | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑn.əɹ/ | /ʃɔːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #16 (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
- Conor is recorded with a Irish origin, while Sean is recorded with a Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John origin.
- Conor has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sean.
- Conor's recorded meaning differs from Sean's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Conor
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #56 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1995 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #16 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