How to say it
SEAN
/ʃɔːn/
Masculine
Sean
God is gracious
What it means
The Irish form of John, from the Hebrew for 'God is gracious.'
Sean is the Irish form of John, which comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious.' The Irish spelling, pronounced SHAWN, traveled the world with the diaspora and was carried by stars like Sean Connery. Shaun and Shawn are the phonetic spellings. A modern classic. Said SHAWN.
Popularity over time
peaked at #33 in 1972, currently #489 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
SHAWN, the Irish form of John.
- Pop culture
Actor Sean Connery.
Spelling variants
- Shaun
- Shawn
- Seán
Names with the same feeling
See Sean from another angle
By meaning
By style