Seamus vs Wesley
Seamus and Wesleycompared 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 2015, Seamus was ranked #288 and Wesley #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Seamus was ranked #352 and Wesley #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Seamus was ranked #516 and Wesley #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Seamus was ranked #981 and Wesley #545 among boys in England and Wales.
Seamus and Wesley over time
Seamus and Wesley appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Seamus and Wesley were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1967 to 2023, ending at #516 and #770.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Seamus #470 in 1998, Wesley #178 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1967–2023
Seamus held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Wesley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Seamus #55 in 1967, Wesley #62 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Seamus #516, Wesley #770.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Seamus held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Wesley in 29.
Highest recorded here: Seamus #470 in 1998, Wesley #178 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Seamus #981, Wesley #545.
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 | Seamus | Wesley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Séamus, the Irish form of James — ultimately from Hebrew Ya'akov via Latin Iacomus. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish, from Hebrew via James | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃeɪ.məs/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Séamus | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #545 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Seamus has a recorded origin (Irish, from Hebrew via James); Wesley does not have one recorded yet.
- Seamus and Wesley both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Seamus; Wesley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Seamus a "high" Data Confidence level and Wesley a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Seamus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #60 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Wesley
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1977 (recorded 1967–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #545 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys