Emmet vs Seamus
Emmet and Seamuscompared 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 2022, Emmet was ranked #414 and Seamus #234 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Emmet was ranked #829 and Seamus #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Emmet was ranked #4275 and Seamus #1538 among boys in England and Wales.
Emmet and Seamus over time
Emmet and Seamus appear together in 3 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Seamus held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Emmet in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Emmet reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Seamus 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emmet and Seamus changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2022, ending at #414 and #234.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Emmet and Seamus averaged 59.9 places apart, ending at #414 and #234.
- Longest-running competitions
Emmet and Seamus were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #829 and #402.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Emmet #1578 in 1997, Seamus #470 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Emmet held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Seamus in 56.
Highest recorded here: Emmet #82 in 1992, Seamus #55 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emmet #829, Seamus #402.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1997–2022
Emmet held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Seamus in 18.
Highest recorded here: Emmet #118 in 1999, Seamus #108 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Emmet #414, Seamus #234.
England and Wales · Boys21 shared years, 1996–2025
Emmet held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Seamus in 21.
Highest recorded here: Emmet #1578 in 1997, Seamus #470 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emmet #4275, Seamus #1538.
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 | Emmet | Seamus |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of Séamus, the Irish form of James — ultimately from Hebrew Ya'akov via Latin Iacomus. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish, from Hebrew via James |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈʃeɪ.məs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Séamus |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Seamus has a recorded origin (Irish, from Hebrew via James); Emmet does not have one recorded yet.
- Emmet and Seamus both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Seamus; Emmet doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Emmet a "medium" Data Confidence level and Seamus a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Emmet
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #207 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: #82 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1992 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4275 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Seamus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #60 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: #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1538 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys