Sean vs William
Sean and Williamcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2007, Sean was ranked #85 and William #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2007, Sean was ranked #83 and William #5 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2022, Sean was ranked #496 and William #5 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #638 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #48 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Sean was ranked #234 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Sean was ranked #141 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Sean and William over time
Sean and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 255 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sean in 2.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, William in 2. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 44 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Sean and William averaged 27.5 places apart, ending at #85 and #2.
- Longest-running competitions
Sean and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1963 to 2007, ending at #85 and #2.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Sean held the stronger position in 35 of those years, William in 27.
Highest recorded here: Sean #1 in 1997, William #8 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sean #141, William #73.
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1965–2022
Sean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 47.
Highest recorded here: Sean #185 in 2007, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Sean #496, William #5.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1963–2007
Sean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 45.
Highest recorded here: Sean #28 in 1995, William #5 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Sean #83, William #5.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1963–2007
Sean held the stronger position in 9 of those years, William in 35.
Highest recorded here: Sean #29 in 1967, William #2 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Sean #85, William #2.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Sean #49 in 1996, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sean #638, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Sean held the stronger position in 25 of those years, William in 2.
Highest recorded here: Sean #13 in 2001, William #26 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sean #48, William #64.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Irish form of John, ultimately carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious' via its Hebrew ancestry. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ʃɔːn/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sean is recorded with a Irish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew John origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Sean has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
- Sean's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys