Harvey vs Shea
Harvey 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, Harvey was ranked #154 and Shea #51 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harvey was ranked #114 and Shea #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harvey was ranked #252 and Shea #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harvey was ranked #152 and Shea #619 among boys in Scotland.
Harvey and Shea over time
Harvey and Shea appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Harvey held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Shea 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, Harvey 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2025, Shea moved ahead of Harvey in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #179 and #187 the year before became #252 and #125.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Harvey and Shea changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2000 and 2025, ending at #252 and #125.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Harvey and Shea averaged 59.5 places apart, ending at #252 and #125.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harvey held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harvey #27 in 2005, Shea #308 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harvey #114, Shea #1322.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2024
Harvey held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shea in 26.
Highest recorded here: Harvey #76 in 2016, Shea #25 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harvey #154, Shea #51.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Harvey held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Shea in 8.
Highest recorded here: Harvey #136 in 2015, Shea #125 in 2025.
The order changed in 2025: Shea moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #179 and #187; by 2025 that had become #252 and #125.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harvey #252, Shea #125.
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 | Harvey | 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 | Not yet recorded | /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, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #28 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Harvey does not have one recorded yet.
- Harvey has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Harvey doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Harvey 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
Harvey
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #28 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