Total births
423,637
Boys' name · since 1925
Sean
Since 1925, U.S. Social Security records show 423,637 babies named Sean, peaking in 1990. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #435
- among boys today
- 423,637
- born since 1925
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Sean is the #435 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 423,637 recorded since 1925.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sean has been recorded 423,637 times among boys since 1925, currently ranked #435 nationally and more common than 97% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1925 to 2025.
- #435 among boys today
- 423,637 born since 1925
- 1980s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sean is currently the #435 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 423,637 born since 1925, peaking in the 1980s.
- #435
- among boys today
- 423,637
- born since 1925
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Sean vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#435
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Sean was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
12,018 babies were named Sean in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Sean compares
423,637 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sean's all-time total is 1,154x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sean | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 423,637 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 12,018 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sean's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Sean's SSA record in two at 1977 and the more recent half accounts for 73% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 27%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1926, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 12,018, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Sean at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1990
Current rank
#435
Active since
1925
Sean popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1925–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 12,018
- Annual births at peak, across 101 years of records
Sean popularity over time - girls
2,969 total births recorded since 1939 (Sean as girls' name)
Sean by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Sean's strongest decade.
103,870 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Sean births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 12
1920s
12 births
- 1930s 101
1930s
101 births
- 1940s 659
1940s
659 births
- 1950s 5,452
1950s
5,452 births
- 1960s
1960s
47,282 births
- 1970s
1970s
83,819 births
- 1980s
1980s
103,870 births
- 1990s
1990s
92,003 births
- 2000s
2000s
64,133 births
- 2010s 21,540
2010s
21,540 births
- 2020s 4,766
2020s
4,766 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 103,870 births (25% of all-time use).
How Sean compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sean's total volume
Sean vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sean by state
Where Sean concentrates geographically, total births since 1925
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 57,727 | 13.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 41,741 | 9.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 25,539 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Texas | | 21,279 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 20,678 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 19,783 | 4.7% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 19,597 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 19,527 | 4.6% |
California share of Sean's total US births 13.6%
Even split
57,727 of 423,637 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Sean appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sean? ▼
Sean has been given to 423,637 babies in the U.S. since 1925, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #435 as of the latest data. 12,018 babies were born in 1990, its single highest year.
When was Sean most popular? ▼
Sean was most popular in the 1980s decade with 103,870 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Sean most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sean are California (57,727 births), New York (41,741 births), Pennsylvania (25,539 births).
How long has the name Sean been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Sean since 1925 -- 101 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Sean? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Seamus, Seanmichael, Seaborn, Seann, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sean's data
- Sean's decade-level peak was the 1980s (103,870 total births); usage has since declined to 4,766 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Seans (57,727 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sean
Nearby Names Like Sean
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sean
Seamus Boy
#1451 7,809 births
Seanmichael Boy
588 births
Seaborn Boy
526 births
Seann Boy
517 births
Seanpaul Boy
260 births
Compare Sean side by side: Sean vs Seamus Sean vs Seanmichael Sean vs Seaborn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sean
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1925–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sean: #435 Boys' Name - 423,637 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sean. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sean draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.