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Boy name · Hebrew

Sean

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: God is gracious

Sean is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "God is gracious". It is used in English and Irish.

Meaning
God is gracious
Origin
Hebrew
Gender
Boy
Say it
SHAWN

Meaning and origin of Sean

As a boy's name, Sean comes from Hebrew and means "God is gracious". It is used in English and Irish. In Irish it is spelled Seán.

Say it SHAWN. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Sean on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Sean on 2 lists.

  • “God is gracious; Hebrew. Irish form of John. Say SHAWN”

    From Classic boy names, classic Irish, Scottish and Welsh boy names

  • “Irish form of John: God is gracious; Hebrew origin. Say SHAWN.”

    From Irish boy names, popular Irish boy names

How popular is Sean?

US rank in 2025
#489
616 babies, 361 per million boys
Best rank
#33 in 1972
Most babies: 12,018 in 1990
Babies since 1925
At least 423,637
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 1980s, at 5,627 per million.
Babies named Sean per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 1980s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s0 per million
1920s1 per million
1930s10 per million
1940s44 per million
1950s270 per million
1960s2,455 per million
1970s5,075 per million
1980s5,627 per million
1990s4,723 per million
2000s3,213 per million
2010s1,146 per million
2020s460 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#234#251#268#301#334#362#397#427#435#489

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Other forms of Sean

The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.

  • ElchananGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • EoinGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • EvanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • GianniGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • GiannisGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • GiovanniGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • HannesGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • HansGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • IainGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • IanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • IantoGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • IbanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)

Names spelled like Sean

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • ŞanFame, glory (Turkish, unisex)
  • StefanCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • SvenBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
  • ShaneGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • SweynBoy, young man (Old Norse, boy)
  • SaadGood fortune, luck (Arabic, boy)
  • SaarStorm (Hebrew, boy)
  • SeanánLittle old one (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • SebaPet form of Sebastián (Spanish, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • MilanGracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names (Slavic, unisex)
  • MilaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
  • JackGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • JanaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • JohannaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • JohannesGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
  • MilenaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
  • GiaPet form of Gianna, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • GiannaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • JanetGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • JeanGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • JeanetteGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • JeannieGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
  • JensGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)

Middle names for Sean

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
  • ArcherBowman (Old French, boy)
  • AtticusFrom Attica (Greek, boy)
  • CedarFragrant evergreen tree (English, boy)
  • DarrellFrom Airelle, a place in Normandy (Old French, boy)
  • EvanderGood man (Greek, boy)
  • PierceRock (Greek, boy)
  • RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)

More boy names from Hebrew

  • AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
  • DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
  • DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
  • NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
  • EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
  • GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
  • AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
  • BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
  • IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
  • JonathanYahweh has given (Hebrew, boy)
  • SamuelName of God (Hebrew, boy)
  • SimonHe has heard (Hebrew, boy)
  • AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
  • AbelBreath (Hebrew, boy)
  • BenSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
  • EthanFirm, enduring (Hebrew, boy)
  • IbrahimFather of many nations (Hebrew, boy)
  • JoelYahweh is God (Hebrew, boy)

Sean: common questions

What does the name Sean mean?

Sean comes from Hebrew and means "God is gracious".

Is Sean a boy or girl name?

Sean is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 7 girls and 616 boys in the US were named Sean, according to Social Security Administration data.

Where does the name Sean come from?

Sean comes from Hebrew and means "God is gracious". Today it is used in English and Irish.

How do you pronounce Sean?

Say SHAWN. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.

How popular is the name Sean?

Sean ranked #489 in the US in 2025, with 616 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What are other forms of Sean?

Forms of Sean with the same meaning and origin include Elchanan (Hebrew), Eoin (Irish), Evan (English), Gianni (Italian) and Giannis (Greek).

What middle names go with Sean?

Middle names that flow well with Sean include Alton, Archer, Atticus, Cedar and Darrell. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.