Sean vs Stuart
Sean and Stuartcompared 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, Sean was ranked #40 and Stuart #314 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1989, Sean was ranked #45 and Stuart #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1987, Sean was ranked #56 and Stuart #96 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Sean was ranked #127 and Stuart #572 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #234 and Stuart #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #638 and Stuart #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Sean and Stuart over time
Sean and Stuart appear together in 5 published lists, across 150 years of shared records. Sean held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Stuart in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Stuart reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Sean 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1981, Sean moved ahead of Stuart in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #69 and #63 the year before became #54 and #69.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sean and Stuart changed places 9 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1963 and 1989, ending at #45 and #97.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Sean and Stuart averaged 13.6 places apart, ending at #45 and #97.
- Longest-running competitions
Sean and Stuart were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2022, ending at #127 and #572.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Sean #49 in 1996, Stuart #111 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2022
Sean held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Stuart in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sean #1 in 1997, Stuart #79 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Sean #127, Stuart #572.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sean held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Stuart in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sean #49 in 1996, Stuart #111 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sean #638, Stuart #2443.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys27 shared years, 1963–1989
Sean held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Stuart in 13.
Highest recorded here: Sean #29 in 1967, Stuart #31 in 1967.
The order changed in 1981: Sean moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #69 and #63; by 1981 that had become #54 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Sean #45, Stuart #97.
New Zealand · Boys25 shared years, 1963–1987
Sean held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Stuart in 18.
Highest recorded here: Sean #38 in 1968, Stuart #34 in 1964.
The order changed in 1986: Sean moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #75 and #71; by 1986 that had become #77 and #92.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Sean #56, Stuart #96.
Northern Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1997–2015
Sean held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Stuart in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sean #13 in 2001, Stuart #64 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Sean #40, Stuart #314.
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 | Stuart |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #478 (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); Stuart does not have one recorded yet.
- Sean and Stuart both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Sean; Stuart doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Stuart
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1989
Highest recorded position: #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1967 (recorded 1952–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys