Sean

In This Article

Origin, Meaning, and History of Sean

Sean is a short and sweet gender-neutral name of Irish origin, meaning ‘gift from God’ or ‘God is gracious.’ It is an anglicized variation of the Irish name Seán derived from the Hebrew name John. The name John is derived from the Old French form Jehan.

There are multiple origins for this unique and short name with different meanings. For example, in Celtic and Hebrew origin, the name means ‘God’s grace.’ This name and its variants, Shawn and Shaun, became popular in the English-speaking world beyond Ireland around the middle of the twentieth century.

The name John, a variant of Sean, is an English form of Iohannes, which is the Latin form of the Greek name Ioannes, which originates from the Hebrew name Yochanan, which means ‘Yahweh is gracious,’ from the roots ‘yo’ relating to the Hebrew God and ‘Chanan’ meaning ‘to be gracious.’

The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament in the form of Johanan or Jehohanan in the English version, but the popularity of this name is due to two highly revered saints in the New Testament. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is Jesus’ forerunner. The second figure is the apostle John, who is traditionally considered the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation.

The phonetic spelling of the traditional name Sean is SHAWN. The one-syllable name has many variations across different cultures in various languages. These include Shawn in English, Shane in Irish, Yohannes in Amharic, Yuhanna in Arabic, Ohannes in Armenian, Yan in Belarusian, John in Biblical and Dutch, Yannick in French, Keoni in Hawaiian, Yanni in Greek, Jonas in Lithuanian, Jone in Norwegian, Janne in Swedish, and Jean in French.

Due to the name’s versatility, various fictional characters have been given the name Sean across different forms of Media. These include Shawn Spencer, the main character in the television seriesPsych, Shawn, a character fromBarney & Friends, and Shawn, the main antagonist inThe Good Place.

Sean

heart image
Jehovah has been gracious
Boy
Judaism
English, Irish
S..Sa..Saa..Sac..

How To Pronounce Sean?

English

Famous People With The Name Sean

  • Shawn WayansAmerican actor, known for writing and starring in the Scary Movie series
  • Shawn WeatherlyAmerican actress, who won two beauty pageants — Miss USA and Miss Universe 1980
  • Shawn MullinsAmerican singer, known for his hit single ‘Lullaby’
  • Shawn ColvinAmerican singer-songwriter and musician, known for her Grammy Award-winning song ‘Sunny Came Home’
  • Shawn AbnerAmerican former professional basketball player, known for playing as an outfielder in Major League Baseball
  • Shawn BradleyAmerican basketball player, known for being the tallest in NBA history

Sean On The Popularity Chart

For decades, the name Sean has been popular in the United States and other English-speaking countries. Check out the graph to learn more about its popularity.

Popularity Over Time

Sean’s popularity has risen and fallen over the years. According to the United States Social Security Administration (SSA), the name’s popularity peaked in 1980, with 12,016 babies per million.

Source:Social Security Administration

随着时间的推移排名

Sean has been a well-known name and ranked 12,114 in popularity in 1980. View the graph for more information on its ranking.

Source:Social Security Administration

Names With Similar Sound As Sean

There are multiple well-known variations of the name Sean that are suitable for your child. Here are some similar-sounding alternatives.

Popular Sibling Names For Sean

Other Popular Names Beginning With S

Names With Similar Meaning As Sean

Do you wish to look into other names similar to Sean’s? Then consider these distinctive and unique names for your baby.

Infographic: Know The Name’s Personality As Per Numerology

name-numerology-for-sean-boy

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below.

Download Infographic in PDF version Download Infographic
Download Infographic in PDF version

How To Communicate The Name In Other Languages

In Nautical Flags

sean

用手语

sean

In Braille Alphabet

sean

In Morse Code

sean

Name Numerology For Sean

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Sean?

The name Sean means jehovah has been gracious.

2. What is the origin of the name Sean?

Sean has an English and Irish origin.

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