Leo vs Sean
Leo 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Sean #638 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Sean #234 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Sean #141 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Sean #48 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2022, Leo was ranked #44 and Sean #496 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Leo was ranked #58 and Sean #83 among boys in New Zealand.
Leo and Sean over time
Leo and Sean appear together in 4 published lists, across 160 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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 4 of those lists, and Leo 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 Republic of Ireland · Boys, Leo moved into the top 50 at #36 in 2018 as Sean fell out of it to #74, having been #5 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2004, Leo moved ahead of Sean in England and Wales · Boys — #77 and #67 the year before became #57 and #83.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leo and Sean changed places 11 times in Norway · Boys between 1976 and 2022, ending at #44 and #496.
- Longest-running competitions
Leo and Sean were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 41 years, from 1976 to 2022, ending at #44 and #496.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sean in 54.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Sean #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2018: Leo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #33 and #5; by 2018 that had become #36 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Sean #141.
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1976–2022
Leo held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sean in 12.
Highest recorded here: Leo #39 in 2019, Sean #185 in 2007.
The order changed in 2000: Leo moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #281 and #218; by 2000 that had become #192 and #272.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Leo #44, Sean #496.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sean in 8.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Sean #49 in 1996.
The order changed in 2004: Leo moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #77 and #67; by 2004 that had become #57 and #83.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Sean #638.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sean in 17.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Sean #13 in 2001.
The order changed in 2015: Leo moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #26 and #26; by 2015 that had become #28 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, Sean #48.
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 | Leo | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. |
| Origin | Latin | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /ʃɔːn/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Sean is recorded with a Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John origin.
- Leo and Sean both have 1 syllable.
- Leo'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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 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