Harry vs Sean
Harry 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #13 and Sean #48 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #20 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Sean #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Sean #234 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2007, Harry was ranked #33 and Sean #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Harry was ranked #40 and Sean #83 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Sean #478 among boys in Norway.
Harry and Sean over time
Harry and Sean appear together in 6 published lists, across 159 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sean in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 5 of those lists, Harry 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Harry moved into the top 50 at #6 in 2018 as Sean fell out of it to #74, having been #5 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1999, Harry moved ahead of Sean in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #57 and #54 the year before became #58 and #66.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Harry and Sean averaged 30.1 places apart, ending at #13 and #48.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Sean were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 57 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #25 and #141.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sean in 49.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2018: Harry moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #8 and #5; by 2018 that had become #6 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Sean #141.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sean in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Sean #638.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sean in 11.
Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Sean #13 in 2001.
The order changed in 2009: Harry moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #16 and #16; by 2009 that had become #11 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #13, Sean #48.
Norway · Boys17 shared years, 1965–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Sean in 8.
Highest recorded here: Harry #173 in 1967, Sean #294 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Sean #478.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys14 shared years, 1992–2007
Harry held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sean in 6.
Highest recorded here: Harry #32 in 2006, Sean #45 in 1992.
The order changed in 1999: Harry moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #57 and #54; by 1999 that had become #58 and #66.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Harry #33, Sean #85.
New Zealand · Boys14 shared years, 1994–2007
Harry held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Sean in 7.
Highest recorded here: Harry #37 in 2004, Sean #28 in 1995.
The order changed in 2001: Harry moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #58 and #52; by 2001 that had become #42 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Harry #40, Sean #83.
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 | Harry | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | /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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin, while Sean is recorded with a Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John origin.
- Harry has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sean.
- Harry'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
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 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