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Original poster

Sean- not popular in UK?

45 replies

Elisemum · 05/09/2021 08:15

So we’ve decided to name our new son Sean - a name I always loved. I’m not Irish (my husband is), we live in Ireland. I have read hundreds of threads here on this forums on boys names, not one of them has ever mentioned Sean:) thousands of names being mentioned here, and I wonder why never ever Sean? Is Sean not at all known/given in England/uk? I’m from continental Europe and Sean was always known to me: Sean Connery, Sean Penn.

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CrackersDontMatter · 05/09/2021 08:18

I know two Seans. One is 38 and the other is 14. It's a lovely name.

CaptainMyCaptain · 05/09/2021 08:18

It's quite a popular name with a variety of spellings.

LegendaryReady · 05/09/2021 08:21

I know a few, admittedly older, not babies or children. Lots of people say their name wrong.

pontiouspilates · 05/09/2021 08:21

Lots of Seans when I was at school, but you're right, not many baby or toddler Sean's around. I've always really liked it - go for it!

mogkat · 05/09/2021 08:22

I know a couple of Sean's and went to school with a couple although one was spelt Shaun. But that was 20 odd years ago now.

I think like lots of names it's one that right now isn't as popular and not one at the top of the 'lists'.

Think it's a nice name, congratulations on baby Sean!

Ikeameatballs · 05/09/2021 08:22

I think it’s just not in fashion anymore. I remember it being fashionable in what must have been early 90’s??

I like it, it’s a nice, well known name so no longer being in fashion is no reason to not use it IMO.

2tired2bewitty · 05/09/2021 08:23

It’s a bit like Paul, plenty of them around, just mostly adults now.

GoodnightGrandma · 05/09/2021 08:24

I agree, it’s just not fashionable at the moment, but there’s lots of them around. Nothing wrong with the name.

PullTheWeeds · 05/09/2021 08:28

I'm mid 30's and they're were Seans galore when I was at school. It's not a very typical baby name at the moment I don't think, but will probably come around again in time.

You should check the government database for all the baby names given each year and see how many Seans have been born lately.

MrsBungle · 05/09/2021 08:30

I know lots of adult Sean’s. Their real name is actually John and they just go by Sean - the name isn’t on their birth certificate. 4 in my own family.

mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 05/09/2021 08:34

I'm a secondary teacher in England and there are usually a couple of boys called Sean in each year group.

BikeRunSki · 05/09/2021 08:37

Good point OP
I know a few - one in his 60s, one 50s, one 20s.
And a few Shanes. Actually Shane is a lot more common IME (obs not everyone else’s experience)..

No children, but it would be a wonderful change from some of the handful of names I see repeated over and over again. It’s a name that everyone is aware of, and in Ireland people are likely to default to the Sean spelling, rather than Shaun.

ElspethFlashman · 05/09/2021 08:37

This is like someone from France saying "I live in France and we're going to name our son Jean, why isn't it more popular in the UK?"

Confused
Original poster
Elisemum · 05/09/2021 08:43

Thanks everyone! @ElspethFlashman well not really it’s not, England/UK and Ireland are obviously very close neighbours. A lot of companies/financial institutions work very closely together, I personally work with people from UK and US on daily basis - that’s why I asked :) I was just curious to hear a few opinions from people who live in England. Also Sean is an “international” English speaking name, as opposed to Jean who is mainly a lovely french name.

OP posts:
romdowa · 05/09/2021 08:45

When I lived in the UK I met a couple of shauns/ Sean's. The name just isn't popular at the moment, even here in Ireland but that isn't always a bad thing

Trinacham · 05/09/2021 08:46

I know a couple of Seans, born in 80s/90s in UK.

DeadButDelicious · 05/09/2021 08:49

I don't personally know any Sean's these days but there were more than a few around when I was little in the 80's.

It's a nice name, well known but not too common. I like it. Good choice!

Malteser71 · 05/09/2021 08:51

It was definitely a ‘naughty’ name when I was at school. That and ‘Jason!’

TwoMountains · 05/09/2021 08:52

Sean’s less fashionable as a baby name at the moment - it was a more popular choice 15-20 years ago - but it’s still a name that’s well known in England and the U.K.

names.darkgreener.com/#sean

Original poster
Elisemum · 05/09/2021 08:58

Thanks Guys, I agree it’s not popular at the moment, but well known. It’s exactly what we wanted… something “easy”, not too OTT but not super popular either. Fits nicely with our surname too which is quite “common” and Irish sounding. And I think it goes well with our first son Jamie :)

OP posts:
Camandmitch · 05/09/2021 08:58

It was popular when I was at school in the 1990s. Along with Shannon which has pretty much vanished these days. Not come across a little Sean for a long time

Original poster
Elisemum · 05/09/2021 09:02

Ha @Camandmitch Shannon was always a girls name that I loved too:) I remember Shannon in Lost and I liked it ever since:) I’m from Eastern Europe so I like the sound “sh” in names :) we have a lot of names with “sh” in them so it’s also easy to pronounce for my family

OP posts:
SheWoreYellow · 05/09/2021 09:03

More used 30-50 years ago.

Sean- not popular in UK?
StevieNix · 05/09/2021 09:05

Sean was very popular among my age group when I was at school, there were at least two or three in every class (England, in late 90’s/2000’s) but because it was so popular then it’s massively gone out of fashion I believe as hardly any babies or toddlers called it now.

gemloving · 05/09/2021 09:09

My husband is a Sean, he's 31 and would have loved to call his son Sean but I said no. Too much name confusion in the house.