Sean vs Shayne
Sean and Shaynecompared 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, Sean was ranked #5 and Shayne #610 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1968, Sean was ranked #38 and Shayne #100 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1972, Sean was ranked #40 and Shayne #94 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Sean was ranked #41 and Shayne #403 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #638 and Shayne #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Sean and Shayne over time
Sean and Shayne appear together in 3 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Sean held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Shayne in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Shayne 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Sean #1 in 2006, Shayne #149 in 2006.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sean held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shayne in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sean #49 in 1996, Shayne #245 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sean #638, Shayne #5119.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2005–2017
Sean held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Shayne in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sean #1 in 2006, Shayne #149 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Sean #5, Shayne #610.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2005–2012
Sean held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Shayne in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sean #16 in 2006, Shayne #163 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Sean #41, Shayne #403.
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 | Sean | Shayne |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ʃɔːn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sean has a recorded origin (Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John); Shayne does not have one recorded yet.
- Sean has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Shayne.
- A meaning is recorded for Sean; Shayne doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
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
Shayne
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #80 among boys in New Zealand in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–1968
Highest recorded position: #76 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1964–1968).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys