Sean
Boy name · #489 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Sean? In official American birth records, Sean has been tracked continuously since 1925, giving it 100 years of documented American history.
Sean ranks #489 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 616 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #210, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,922 boys born in 2025 was named Sean.
The 100-year story
Sean first appears in the Social Security records in 1925, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1990, when 12,018 boys were named Sean — good for #37 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Sean per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sean against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sean in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sean is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sean will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sean is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sean is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Sean is most common in MA (1 per 1,000), MD (0.9 per 1,000), CT (0.9 per 1,000), NJ (0.8 per 1,000), SC (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Sean is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Sean
Statistically, parents drawn to Sean tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jean, Bryan, Ruben, Stefan, and Morgan.
JeanBryanRubenStefanMorganRamonStephanJohnathan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sean | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 616 | #489 |
| 2024 | 730 | #435 |
| 2023 | 741 | #427 |
| 2022 | 803 | #397 |
| 2021 | 900 | #362 |
| 2020 | 976 | #334 |
| 2019 | 1,128 | #301 |
| 2018 | 1,325 | #268 |
| 2017 | 1,481 | #251 |
| 2016 | 1,671 | #233 |
| 2015 | 1,895 | #210 |
| 2014 | 2,125 | #193 |
| 2013 | 2,203 | #185 |
| 2012 | 2,777 | #145 |
| 2011 | 3,192 | #125 |
| 2010 | 3,743 | #102 |
| 2009 | 4,339 | #97 |
| 2008 | 5,471 | #83 |
| 2007 | 6,244 | #76 |
| 2006 | 6,643 | #68 |
| 2005 | 5,997 | #75 |
| 2004 | 6,769 | #64 |
| 2003 | 7,102 | #61 |
| 2002 | 7,028 | #59 |
| 2001 | 7,224 | #57 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Sean?
In official American birth records, the name Sean first appeared in 1925 (over 100 years ago), when 7 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 100 years.
Is Sean a popular boy name?
Sean ranked #489 among boys in 2025 with 616 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #210.
When was the name Sean most popular?
Sean peaked in 1990, when 12,018 American boys received the name (ranked #37 that year). Since 1990 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sean?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,922 newborn American boys was named Sean. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.