Jamie vs Shea
Jamie 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jamie was ranked #47 and Shea #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jamie was ranked #118 and Shea #51 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jamie was ranked #87 and Shea #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jamie was ranked #222 and Shea #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Jamie was ranked #555 and Shea #727 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jamie was ranked #1894 and Shea #3015 among girls in England and Wales.
Jamie and Shea over time
Jamie and Shea appear together in 4 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Jamie held the stronger position in more years in 4 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.
Jamie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Shea 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Shea moved into the top 50 at #27 in 2021 as Jamie fell out of it to #69, having been #41 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Shea moved ahead of Jamie in Northern Ireland · Boys — #41 and #43 the year before became #69 and #27.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jamie and Shea changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #118 and #51.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Jamie and Shea averaged 26.6 places apart, ending at #118 and #51.
- Longest-running competitions
Jamie and Shea were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #47 and #125.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Jamie #191 in 2001, Shea #1728 in 2001.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1976–2025
Jamie held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jamie #10 in 2006, Shea #125 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jamie #47, Shea #125.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jamie held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jamie #28 in 1996, Shea #308 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jamie #222, Shea #1322.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jamie held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Shea in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jamie #8 in 2005, Shea #25 in 2007.
The order changed in 2021: Shea moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #41 and #43; by 2021 that had become #69 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jamie #118, Shea #51.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Jamie held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jamie #191 in 2001, Shea #1728 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jamie #1894, Shea #3015.
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 | Jamie | Shea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Originally a Lowland Scots diminutive of James; used as a feminine name too since the late 19th century. | The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well. |
| Origin | Scottish, diminutive of James | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.mi/ | /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, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #47 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Jamie is recorded with a Scottish, diminutive of James origin, while Shea is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Jamie has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- Jamie's recorded meaning differs from Shea's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Jamie 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
Jamie
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #91 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2005 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #378 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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