Pronunciation
Shawn
Meaning
God is gracious
Alternate spellings
Sean
Fun fact
Seán is the Irish form of John. The fada over á helps explain why the name sounds like Shawn rather than the way an unfamiliar reader might first guess.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Seán, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
#23Rank among boy names in 2025185Babies registered in 2025
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 185 | #23 |
| 2024 | 222 | #15 |
| 2023 | 240 | #14 |
| 2022 | 239 | #19 |
| 2021 | 274 | #16 |
| 2020 | 266 | #20 |
| 2019 | 255 | #23 |
| 2018 | 317 | #13 |
| 2017 | 453 | #5 |
| 2016 | 501 | #5 |
| 2015 | 530 | #5 |
| 2014 | 526 | #5 |
| 2013 | 609 | #5 |
| 2012 | 677 | #4 |
| 2011 | 755 | #3 |
| 2010 | 827 | #2 |
| 2009 | 934 | #2 |
| 2008 | 970 | #2 |
| 2007 | 965 | #2 |
| 2006 | 994 | #1 |
| 2005 | 893 | #2 |
| 2004 | 928 | #1 |
| 2003 | 897 | #1 |
| 2002 | 866 | #2 |
| 2001 | 867 | #2 |
| 2000 | 816 | #2 |
| 1999 | 760 | #2 |
| 1998 | 662 | #2 |
| 1997 | 872 | #1 |
| 1996 | 804 | #2 |
| 1995 | 705 | #4 |
| 1994 | 628 | #7 |
| 1993 | 662 | #6 |
| 1992 | 729 | #5 |
| 1991 | 657 | #7 |
| 1990 | 620 | #10 |
| 1989 | 594 | #9 |
| 1988 | 560 | #11 |
| 1987 | 533 | #14 |
| 1986 | 519 | #16 |
| 1985 | 497 | #16 |
| 1984 | 476 | #15 |
| 1983 | 464 | #15 |
| 1982 | 443 | #22 |
| 1981 | 445 | #20 |
| 1980 | 370 | #28 |
| 1979 | 346 | #28 |
| 1978 | 275 | #34 |
| 1977 | 338 | #27 |
| 1976 | 282 | #34 |
| 1975 | 278 | #34 |
| 1974 | 327 | #30 |
| 1973 | 317 | #29 |
| 1972 | 274 | #33 |
| 1971 | 291 | #27 |
| 1970 | 259 | #31 |
| 1969 | 232 | #35 |
| 1968 | 211 | #37 |
| 1967 | 221 | #36 |
| 1966 | 235 | #33 |
| 1965 | 163 | #41 |
| 1964 | 171 | #38 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.