George vs Sean
George 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #6 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, George was ranked #32 and Sean #83 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #40 and Sean #48 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #48 and Sean #234 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2007, George was ranked #73 and Sean #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, George was ranked #112 and Sean #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2018, George was ranked #421 and Sean #531 among boys in Norway.
George and Sean over time
George and Sean appear together in 6 published lists, across 244 years of shared records. Sean held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, George 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, George moved ahead of Sean in Northern Ireland · Boys — #49 and #44 the year before became #28 and #46.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
George and Sean changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1963 and 2007, ending at #73 and #85.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 44 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, George and Sean averaged 13.5 places apart, ending at #73 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
George and Sean were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1963 to 2007, ending at #73 and #85.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — George #36 in 1966, Sean #29 in 1967.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
George held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sean in 54.
Highest recorded here: George #52 in 1964, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2018: George moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #88 and #5; by 2018 that had become #70 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: George #112, Sean #141.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1963–2007
George held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sean in 29.
Highest recorded here: George #28 in 2005, Sean #28 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: George #32, Sean #83.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1963–2007
George held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sean in 33.
Highest recorded here: George #36 in 1966, Sean #29 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: George #73, Sean #85.
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1965–2018
George held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Sean in 19.
Highest recorded here: George #253 in 1968, Sean #195 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: George #421, Sean #531.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
George held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sean in 0.
Highest recorded here: George #2 in 2018, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #6, Sean #638.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
George held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sean in 22.
Highest recorded here: George #25 in 2023, Sean #13 in 2001.
The order changed in 2019: George moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #49 and #44; by 2019 that had become #28 and #46.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #40, 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 | George | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Farmer, earth-worker. | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | Greek | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɔːdʒ/ | /ʃɔːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #24 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- George is recorded with a Greek origin, while Sean is recorded with a Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John origin.
- George has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sean.
- George's recorded meaning differs from Sean's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
George
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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