Evan vs Shea
Evan and Sheacompared 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, Evan was ranked #125 and Shea #51 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Evan was ranked #80 and Shea #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #178 and Shea #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #181 and Shea #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Evan was ranked #5891 and Shea #3015 among girls in England and Wales.
Evan and Shea over time
Evan and Shea appear together in 4 published lists, across 105 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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
Evan and Shea changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #5891 and #3015.
- Longest-running competitions
Evan and Shea were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #80 and #125.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1976–2025
Evan held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Evan #23 in 2007, Shea #125 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Evan #80, Shea #125.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Evan #70 in 2009, Shea #308 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #178, Shea #1322.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shea in 28.
Highest recorded here: Evan #79 in 2010, Shea #25 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #125, Shea #51.
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 1996–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Shea in 10.
Highest recorded here: Evan #2096 in 1996, Shea #1728 in 2001.
The order changed in 2024: Shea moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #4709 and #5687; by 2024 that had become #5891 and #3015.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #5891, Shea #3015.
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 | Evan | Shea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃeɪ/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Sé, Séaghdha, Shay |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #80 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Evan does not have one recorded yet.
- Evan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Evan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Evan a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shea a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Evan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1969–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #350 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Shea
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys