Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2008

Seamus

Meaning James Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,280 Trend ↓ Falling 19%

Anglicization of Irish Séamas (“James”), itself from English James.

Rank 2025
#1,280
among boys · ↑177 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
154
named Seamus · +23% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,091
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2008
298 babies
All-time total
7,809
#1,389 all-time among boys
First recorded
1957
in Social Security records

Seamus popularity over time

7,809 babies have been named Seamus since 1957, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2008Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s 25 3 – #2,792
1960s 122 12 +388% #1,844
1970s 332 33 +172% #1,333
1980s 497 50 +50% #1,198
1990s 1,241 124 +150% #804
2000s 2,446 245 +97% #735
2010s 2,268 227 -7% #837
2020s (to 2025) 878 146 -35% #1,195

Where Seamus is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 149 0.09 outside top 500
2027 145 0.08 outside top 500
2028 142 0.08 outside top 500
2029 139 0.08 outside top 500
2030 137 0.08 outside top 500

Where Seamus is most popular

Boys named Seamus per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.083 per 1,000. Strongest in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Seamus born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Massachusetts 76 0.553 +566%
Connecticut 16 0.236 +185%
Pennsylvania 61 0.230 +177%
New Hampshire 5 0.225 +171%
New York 69 0.159 +92%
New Jersey 31 0.154 +85%
Minnesota 17 0.139 +67%
Illinois 27 0.106 +27%
Ohio 26 0.098 +18%
Maryland 10 0.084 ≈ national
Virginia 14 0.074 -11%
Michigan 15 0.073 -12%
Washington 10 0.061 -26%
Utah 5 0.052 -37%
Missouri 7 0.051 -39%
California 44 0.048 -42%
Colorado 6 0.046 -44%
Wisconsin 5 0.042 -49%
Florida 12 0.025 -69%
Texas 17 0.019 -77%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Seamus

Seamus is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,280 in 2025 with 154 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1957, 7,809 American babies have been named Seamus. Its peak came in 2008, when 298 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Seamus stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Seamus?

The median living Seamus is about 18 years old; half are between 11 and 27. An estimated 7,700 people named Seamus are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Seamus year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 154 #1,280
2024 125 #1,457
2023 137 #1,366
2022 143 #1,319
2021 158 #1,223
2020 161 #1,195
2019 197 #1,046
2018 178 #1,106
2017 211 #979
2016 218 #953
2015 221 #946
2014 239 #903
2013 247 #864
2012 259 #838
2011 258 #837
2010 240 #875
2009 276 #808
2008 298 #753
2007 296 #752
2006 244 #833
2005 254 #776
2004 233 #782
2003 248 #735
2002 215 #802
2001 188 #857
2000 194 #828
1995 130 #977
1990 75 #1,285
1985 54 #1,316
1980 50 #1,338
1975 36 #1,498
1970 17 #2,277
1965 18 #1,907
1960 9 #3,042
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Seamus

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Seamus Heaney Seamus Heaney Irish poet (1939–2013) Contemporary
  2. 2 Seamus Dever Seamus Dever American actor b. 1976 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Seamus, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Seamus?

The median living Seamus is about 18 years old. Half of all living Seamuss are between 11 and 27 years old.

How many people named Seamus are alive today?

An estimated 7,700 people named Seamus are alive in the United States, based on 7,809 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Seamus mean?

Anglicization of Irish Séamas (“James”), itself from English James.

How popular is the name Seamus in 2025?

Seamus ranked #1,280 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 154 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Seamus?

7,809 babies have been named Seamus in the United States since 1957, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Seamus most popular?

Seamus peaked in 2008, when 298 newborns received the name.

Is Seamus a boy or girl name?

Seamus is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Seamus rising or falling?

Seamus is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Seamus become more popular?

Seamus is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 137 boys named Seamus in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Seamus?

Well-known people named Seamus include Seamus Heaney (writer), Seamus Dever (actor).

Names like Seamus

Names that sound and feel close to Seamus: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Seamus with similar names → More names starting with S →