Sean
Every Sean since 1925 — 426,606 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Sean
Sean is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #489 in 2025 with 616 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1925, 426,606 American babies have been named Sean. Its peak came in 1990, when 12,070 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
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 Sean stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Sean year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | #12,971 | 616 | #489 |
| 2024 | 8 | #11,985 | 730 | #435 |
| 2023 | — | — | 741 | #427 |
| 2022 | — | — | 803 | #397 |
| 2021 | — | — | 900 | #362 |
| 2020 | 8 | #11,973 | 976 | #334 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,128 | #301 |
| 2018 | 5 | #17,727 | 1,325 | #268 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,481 | #251 |
| 2016 | 6 | #15,928 | 1,671 | #234 |
| 2015 | 7 | #14,268 | 1,895 | #210 |
| 2014 | — | — | 2,125 | #193 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8,509 | 2,203 | #185 |
| 2012 | 14 | #8,559 | 2,777 | #145 |
| 2011 | 9 | #11,991 | 3,192 | #125 |
| 2010 | 11 | #10,355 | 3,743 | #102 |
| 2009 | 13 | #9,306 | 4,339 | #97 |
| 2008 | 27 | #5,410 | 5,471 | #83 |
| 2007 | 10 | #11,489 | 6,244 | #76 |
| 2006 | 21 | #6,312 | 6,643 | #68 |
| 2005 | 27 | #4,939 | 5,997 | #75 |
| 2004 | 30 | #4,591 | 6,769 | #64 |
| 2003 | 35 | #3,937 | 7,102 | #61 |
| 2002 | 25 | #4,876 | 7,028 | #59 |
| 2001 | 35 | #3,769 | 7,224 | #57 |
| 2000 | 50 | #2,893 | 7,316 | #57 |
| 1995 | 54 | #2,416 | 8,167 | #45 |
| 1990 | 52 | #2,395 | 12,018 | #37 |
| 1985 | 98 | #1,347 | 11,455 | #38 |
| 1980 | 51 | #2,058 | 7,596 | #48 |
| 1975 | 62 | #1,601 | 7,582 | #40 |
| 1970 | 76 | #1,385 | 10,341 | #37 |
| 1965 | 38 | #1,881 | 4,594 | #79 |
| 1960 | 22 | #2,633 | 1,421 | #202 |
| 1955 | 12 | #3,542 | 488 | #336 |
| 1950 | 10 | #3,632 | 162 | #536 |
| 1945 | — | — | 50 | #912 |
| 1940 | — | — | 35 | #1,128 |
| 1935 | — | — | 12 | #2,230 |
| 1930 | — | — | 7 | #3,541 |
| 1925 | — | — | 7 | #3,685 |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Sean
- Sean Connery Actor · 1930–2020
- Sean Penn Actor · b. 1960
- Sean Bean Actor · b. 1959
- Sean Astin Actor · b. 1971
- Sean Young Actor · b. 1959
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Sean in 2025?
Sean ranked #489 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 616 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Sean?
426,606 babies have been named Sean in the United States since 1925, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Sean most popular?
Sean peaked in 1990, when 12,070 newborns received the name.
Is Sean a boy or girl name?
Sean is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Sean rising or falling?
Sean is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Sean?
Well-known people named Sean include Sean Connery (actor), Sean Penn (actor), Sean Bean (actor).