Frederick vs Shea
Frederick 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, Frederick was ranked #339 and Shea #51 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Frederick was ranked #55 and Shea #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Frederick was ranked #329 and Shea #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Frederick was ranked #218 and Shea #619 among boys in Scotland.
Frederick and Shea over time
Frederick and Shea appear together in 3 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Shea held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Frederick in 1.
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.
Shea reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Frederick 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Frederick rose about as far as Shea fell — from #120 and #755 in 1996 to #55 and #1322 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Frederick and Shea were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #329 and #125.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1976–2025
Frederick held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Shea in 26.
Highest recorded here: Frederick #174 in 1976, Shea #125 in 2025.
The order changed in 2002: Shea moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #273 and #297; by 2002 that had become #393 and #249.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Frederick #329, Shea #125.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Frederick held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Frederick #55 in 2024, Shea #308 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Frederick #55, Shea #1322.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1998–2024
Frederick held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shea in 23.
Highest recorded here: Frederick #171 in 2018, Shea #25 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Frederick #339, Shea #51.
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 | Frederick | 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 | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Sé, Séaghdha, Shay |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #78 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Frederick does not have one recorded yet.
- Frederick has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Frederick doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Frederick 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
Frederick
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #68 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #55 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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