Shea vs Stephen
Shea and Stephencompared 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, Shea was ranked #51 and Stephen #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Shea was ranked #125 and Stephen #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Shea was ranked #619 and Stephen #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Shea was ranked #1322 and Stephen #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Shea and Stephen over time
Shea and Stephen appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Stephen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Shea 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.
Stephen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Shea 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Shea moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2002 as Stephen fell out of it to #54, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2002, Shea moved ahead of Stephen in Northern Ireland · Boys — #54 and #46 the year before became #37 and #54.
- Longest-running competitions
Shea and Stephen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #125 and #232.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1976–2025
Shea held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Stephen in 28.
Highest recorded here: Shea #125 in 2025, Stephen #10 in 1976.
The order changed in 2023: Shea moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #214 and #205; by 2023 that had become #161 and #224.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Shea #125, Stephen #232.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Shea held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Stephen in 29.
Highest recorded here: Shea #308 in 1999, Stephen #60 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Shea #1322, Stephen #651.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Shea held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Stephen in 5.
Highest recorded here: Shea #25 in 2007, Stephen #21 in 1998.
The order changed in 2002: Shea moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #54 and #46; by 2002 that had become #37 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Shea #51, Stephen #305.
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 | Shea | Stephen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well. | From Greek Stephanos, meaning 'crown, wreath' — literally 'that which surrounds'. Saint Stephen, a deacon stoned to death in the New Testament, is regarded as the first Christian martyr. |
| Origin | Irish | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃeɪ/ | /ˈstiː.vən/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Sé, Séaghdha, Shay | Steven, Stefan, Stephan |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (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 | high | high |
What the data shows
- Shea is recorded with a Irish origin, while Stephen is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Shea has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Stephen.
- Shea's recorded meaning differs from Stephen's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Shea
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Stephen
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #352 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1997
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1955 (recorded 1952–1997).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys