Iestyn vs Shea
Iestyn 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Iestyn was ranked #1859 and Shea #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
Iestyn and Shea over time
Iestyn and Shea appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Iestyn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Shea in 0.
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 1 of those lists, and Iestyn in none. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Iestyn and Shea changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1859 and #1322.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Iestyn held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Shea in 13.
Highest recorded here: Iestyn #237 in 2004, Shea #308 in 1999.
The order changed in 2020: Shea moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #1217 and #1253; by 2020 that had become #1548 and #1192.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Iestyn #1859, Shea #1322.
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 | Iestyn | 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 | GB-ENW | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1859 (2024) | 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) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Iestyn does not have one recorded yet.
- Iestyn has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Iestyn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
- The available evidence gives Iestyn 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
Iestyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #680 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #237 among boys in England and Wales, in 2004 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1859 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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