Kenneth vs Sean Og
Kenneth and Sean Ogcompared 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 2017, Kenneth was ranked #495 and Sean Og #336 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Kenneth and Sean Og over time
Kenneth and Sean Og appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Sean Og held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kenneth 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.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sean Og 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2005–2017
Kenneth held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Sean Og in 7.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #191 in 2005, Sean Og #283 in 2016.
The order changed in 2012: Sean Og moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #387 and #407; by 2012 that had become #718 and #379.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Kenneth #495, Sean Og #336.
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 | Kenneth | Sean Og |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1007 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #336 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Sean Og does not have one recorded yet.
- Kenneth and Sean Og both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Sean Og doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
How each name got here
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1007 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Sean Og
Popularity journey
First recorded2005
First recorded at #370 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 2005 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2017
Highest recorded position: #283 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2016 (recorded 2005–2017).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #336 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Boys