Sean vs Tom
Sean and Tomcompared 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, Sean was ranked #48 and Tom #60 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Sean was ranked #141 and Tom #48 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2002, Sean was ranked #61 and Tom #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #234 and Tom #352 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2022, Sean was ranked #496 and Tom #321 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #638 and Tom #757 among boys in England and Wales.
Sean and Tom over time
Sean and Tom appear together in 4 published lists, across 149 years of shared records. Sean held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tom 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.
Sean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Tom 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Tom moved into the top 50 at #32 in 2018 as Sean fell out of it to #74, having been #5 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Tom moved ahead of Sean in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #5 and #50 the year before became #74 and #32.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sean and Tom changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #48 and #60.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Sean and Tom averaged 43.6 places apart, ending at #638 and #757.
- Longest-running competitions
Sean and Tom were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 47 years, from 1965 to 2022, ending at #496 and #321.
List by list
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1965–2022
Sean held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Tom in 43.
Highest recorded here: Sean #185 in 2007, Tom #14 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Sean #496, Tom #321.
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1980–2025
Sean held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Tom in 8.
Highest recorded here: Sean #1 in 1997, Tom #32 in 2018.
The order changed in 2018: Tom moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #5 and #50; by 2018 that had become #74 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sean #141, Tom #48.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sean held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Tom in 7.
Highest recorded here: Sean #49 in 1996, Tom #83 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sean #638, Tom #757.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Sean held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Tom in 3.
Highest recorded here: Sean #13 in 2001, Tom #42 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sean #48, Tom #60.
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 | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #48 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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); Tom does not have one recorded yet.
- Sean and Tom both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Sean; Tom doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Tom
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #50 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in Norway, in 1960 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #388 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys