How Many People Are Named Sean?
An estimated 403,789 people in the United States have the first name Sean. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #118 overall. It is predominantly male (99.3%). The average bearer is 39 years old, and Sean peaked in popularity in 1990 with 12,070 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Sean as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Sean paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Sean is overwhelmingly male, 2,962 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Sean has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1980s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
403,789
About 1 in 849 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.3% confidence
Average Age
39
years old
Peak Year
1990
12,070 births
Total Registered
425,998
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Sean
Sean is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 425,998 total births registered, 99.3% were male.
Sean as a male name
Ranked #436 in 2024
726 male births in 2024
Peak: 1990 (12,018 births)
Sean as a female name
Ranked #11,943 in 2024
8 female births in 2024
Peak: 1988 (103 births)
Sean: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Sean span from the 1920s to the 2020s, covering 11 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1980s, when 104,685 babies were registered. Sean has declined significantly from its peak in the 1980s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Sean by Decade
How has Sean tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Sean by State
Birth registrations for Sean span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota. On average, about 8,288 Seans were registered per state.
Sean + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Sean as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Sean
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
Sean: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sean?
We estimate approximately 403,789 people named Sean are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 849 Americans share this first name.
Is Sean a common name?
Sean is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 425,998 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Sean most popular?
Sean reached peak popularity in 1990, when 12,070 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Sean is approximately 39 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Sean a male name?
Sean is predominantly male. 99.3% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Sean Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Sean Smith, Sean Johnson, Sean Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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