Lorcan vs Shea
Lorcan 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, Lorcan was ranked #54 and Shea #51 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Lorcan was ranked #125 and Shea #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Lorcan was ranked #691 and Shea #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
Lorcan and Shea over time
Lorcan and Shea appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Shea held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lorcan 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, Lorcan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Lorcan and Shea changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #54 and #51.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Lorcan and Shea averaged 41.2 places apart, ending at #54 and #51.
- Longest-running competitions
Lorcan and Shea were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #125 and #125.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1976–2025
Lorcan held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Shea in 0.
Highest recorded here: Lorcan #87 in 2015, Shea #125 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Lorcan #125, Shea #125.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Lorcan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Shea in 18.
Highest recorded here: Lorcan #481 in 2002, Shea #308 in 1999.
The order changed in 2014: Lorcan moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #730 and #684; by 2014 that had become #597 and #935.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lorcan #691, Shea #1322.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Lorcan held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Shea in 26.
Highest recorded here: Lorcan #31 in 2023, Shea #25 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lorcan #54, Shea #51.
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 | Lorcan | 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-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (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); Lorcan does not have one recorded yet.
- Lorcan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Lorcan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Lorcan 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
Lorcan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #147 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — 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: #31 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (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
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