Namewise

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 2025, Sean was ranked #615 and William #25 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 256 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 England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #615 and #25.

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 · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Sean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 30.

    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, 2025: Sean #615, William #25.

  • 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Sean

Pairs where Sean shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving William

Pairs where William shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Sean, William
FieldSeanWilliam
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningThe 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.
OriginIrish, Anglicised form of Sean, via Hebrew JohnGermanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)
Pronunciation/ʃɔːn//ˈwɪljəm/
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #141 (2025)Norway · Boys #3 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #615 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

William

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys