NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Sheamus

A masculine name derived from the Gaelic Séamus, meaning "supplanter, replacer".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Sheamus is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Sheamus popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4749, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 3 births.

This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1996 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Sheamus. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Sheamus ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 3 boys were registered as Sheamus.
  • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sheamus as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4749

2018

Births in 2018

3

Latest year

Peak year

1996

3 births

Estimated living

6

2026

Meaning

What does Sheamus mean?

The name Sheamus is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Séamus, which is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob. The name Jacob means "supplanter" or "one who follows." The name Séamus first appeared in Ireland in the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, as a Gaelic translation of the name Jacques, which was the French form of the name Jacob.

In the 16th century, the name Séamus became widely popular in Ireland, particularly among Catholic families. During the English colonization of Ireland, many Irish names were Anglicized, and Séamus became Sheamus. This spelling variation was used to make the name more easily pronounced by English speakers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sheamus dates back to the 16th century. In 1588, a man named Sheamus O'Neill was mentioned in historical records as a participant in the Irish Rebellion against English rule.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures with the name Sheamus. In the 17th century, Sheamus Hussey (1670-1746) was a renowned Irish mathematician and astronomer. In the 18th century, Sheamus Butler (1713-1786) was a prominent Irish politician and landowner.

In the 19th century, Sheamus O'Brien (1824-1858) was an Irish revolutionary who led the Young Ireland rebellion against British rule. Sheamus Parnell (1846-1891) was an Irish nationalist and political leader who campaigned for Irish home rule in the late 19th century.

In the 20th century, Sheamus Heaney (1939-2013) was an Irish poet, playwright, and lecturer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. He is considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sheamus over time

The chart below shows babies named Sheamus registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Sheamus, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Sheamus
01223199620072018

Decades

Sheamus by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sheamus was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #4749 3 1
1990s #2863 3 1

Related

Names similar to Sheamus

FAQ

Sheamus: questions and answers

How popular is the name Sheamus in the UK right now?

In 2018, Sheamus was ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Sheamus most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 3 babies registered as Sheamus in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sheamus?

A masculine name derived from the Gaelic Séamus, meaning "supplanter, replacer".

How many people are called Sheamus in the UK?

A total of 6 babies have been registered as Sheamus across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.