Boys' name · peaked in 1986
Sean name popularity since 1925
426,606 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Sean (0.7% girls, 99.3% boys). Half of them were born in 1987 or earlier, so the typical Sean is about 39 years old in 2026. Sean peaked in 1986 as the #37 name for boys, and it ranked #489 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 426,606
- Named Sean, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #489
- for boys in 2025 (616 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.3% boys
- 2,969 girls · 423,637 boys
- Most popular in
- Alaska
- 2.00× its national share
Peak year is the year Sean made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Sean births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 1990. Measured as a share of all babies, Sean peaked in 1986.
- Fastest rise: Between 1963 and 1968, Sean became 4.9× more common, from 1 in 925 baby boys to 1 in 189.
- Steepest fall: Between 2008 and 2013, its share of baby boys fell by 57%, from 1 in 373 to 1 in 859.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Sean's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Sean.
Decade by decade
Babies named Sean in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 12 | – |
| 1930s | 5 | 101 | #2,230 |
| 1940s | 17 | 659 | #912 |
| 1950s | 137 | 5,452 | #336 |
| 1960s | 463 | 47,282 | #79 |
| 1970s | 588 | 83,819 | #40 |
| 1980s | 810 | 103,870 | #38 |
| 1990s | 587 | 92,003 | #45 |
| 2000s | 273 | 64,133 | #75 |
| 2010s | 66 | 21,540 | #210 |
| 2020–25 | 23 | 4,766 | #489 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
39.1% of babies named Sean from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Millennial years (1981–1996). The full split by generation:
Where Sean is most popular
The index compares Sean's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Sean.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 2.00× | 1,272 |
| Hawaii | 1.97× | 2,639 |
| Massachusetts | 1.92× | 19,549 |
| Delaware | 1.89× | 1,678 |
| New Hampshire | 1.78× | 2,394 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Sean's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Sean.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Sean (1986).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data