Cornelius vs Sean
Cornelius 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 2023, Cornelius was ranked #770 and Sean #124 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2022, Cornelius was ranked #310 and Sean #496 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cornelius was ranked #4270 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
Cornelius and Sean over time
Cornelius and Sean appear together in 3 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Sean held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cornelius in 0.
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.
Sean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Cornelius 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Cornelius and Sean were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #770 and #124.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #39 and #38 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 1 places apart; by 2023 they were #770 and #124.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1964–2023
Cornelius held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sean in 55.
Highest recorded here: Cornelius #39 in 1964, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cornelius #770, Sean #124.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cornelius held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sean in 29.
Highest recorded here: Cornelius #1498 in 2004, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cornelius #4270, Sean #638.
Norway · Boys25 shared years, 1990–2022
Cornelius held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sean in 14.
Highest recorded here: Cornelius #206 in 2013, Sean #185 in 2007.
The order changed in 2011: Cornelius moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #329 and #226; by 2011 that had become #228 and #338.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Cornelius #310, Sean #496.
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 | Cornelius | 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 | /ʃɔːn/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 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); Cornelius does not have one recorded yet.
- Cornelius has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Sean.
- A meaning is recorded for Sean; Cornelius doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Cornelius
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #39 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 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