NameCensus.

UK surname

Sean

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Seán, meaning "God is gracious".

In the 1881 census there were 34 people recorded with the Sean surname, ranking it #28,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, up from #28,837 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnet, Chipping, St Pancras and Gwennap. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Dacorum and Haringey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sean is 226 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 270.6%.

1881 census count

34

Ranked #28,837

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

1861

226 bearers

Map years

2

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sean had 34 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,837 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 226 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Sean surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sean surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sean surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sean over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 39 #26,319
1861 historical 226 #10,797
1881 historical 34 #28,837
1891 historical 89 #25,542
1901 historical 22 #31,562
1911 historical 78 #25,013
1997 modern 39 #33,759
1998 modern 26 #35,254
1999 modern 29 #35,031
2000 modern 22 #35,684
2001 modern 21 #35,646
2002 modern 24 #35,520
2003 modern 23 #35,650
2004 modern 29 #35,270
2005 modern 27 #35,588
2006 modern 34 #35,255
2007 modern 36 #35,278
2008 modern 40 #35,137
2009 modern 45 #34,972
2010 modern 63 #34,002
2011 modern 62 #34,045
2012 modern 76 #33,191
2013 modern 83 #32,813
2014 modern 97 #31,518
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Seans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnet, Chipping, St Pancras, Gwennap, Rushden and Kenwyn, Tregavethan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Dacorum, Haringey and Islington. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Barnet, Chipping Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Gwennap Cornwall
4 Rushden Northamptonshire
5 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 009 Mendip
2 Dacorum 006 Dacorum
3 Dacorum 008 Dacorum
4 Haringey 025 Haringey
5 Islington 011 Islington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sean

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sean surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sean

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sean, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Sean surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Sean household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Sean is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sean is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sean falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sean is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sean, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sean

The surname SEAN originates from Ireland and has its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Séaghdha, which means "descendant of Séaghdha." Séaghdha was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "séaghdha," meaning "hawk-like" or "hawk-eyed."

The surname SEAN was initially concentrated in County Sligo and parts of Connacht, where the Ó Séaghdha clan held significant power and influence. The name is closely associated with the Gaelic aristocracy and was prominently featured in various ancient Irish manuscripts and genealogical records.

One of the earliest recorded references to the SEAN surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention several members of the Ó Séaghdha clan, including Tadhg Ó Séaghdha, who was described as a learned poet and historian in the 14th century.

The SEAN surname also has strong connections to several prominent historical figures. One notable individual was Aodh Ó Séaghdha (c. 1571-1635), a renowned Irish poet and scholar who played a significant role in preserving and promoting Irish language and literature during the Gaelic Revival.

Another notable bearer of the SEAN surname was Éamonn Ó Séaghdha (1872-1932), an Irish revolutionary and politician who served as a member of the First Dáil Éireann, the revolutionary parliament established during the Irish War of Independence.

In the literary world, John Millington Synge (1871-1909), the acclaimed Irish playwright and poet, was born with the surname SYNGEFIELD, which is believed to be an Anglicized version of the original Irish name Ó Séaghdha.

The name SEAN has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ballysheahan (Baile Uí Shéaghdha) in County Mayo, which means "the town of the Ó Séaghdha clan."

Throughout history, the SEAN surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Shaughnessy, Shaughnessy, Shaughnessy, and Shaughnessy, reflecting the challenges of transliterating Irish names into English.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sean surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Midlothian leads with 7 Seans recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.76x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 7 15.76x
Surrey 6 3.71x
Kent 5 4.42x
Yorkshire 5 1.52x
Buckinghamshire 3 14.96x
Lanarkshire 3 2.80x
Cheshire 2 2.73x
Devon 1 1.45x
Middlesex 1 0.30x
Suffolk 1 2.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 7 Seans recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.17x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 39.17x
West Layton 5 50000.00x
Lambeth 4 13.84x
Barony 3 11.05x
Steeple Claydon 3 3000.00x
Ashton On Mersey 2 526.32x
Barnes 1 147.06x
Baylham 1 1666.67x
Boughton Under Blean 1 526.32x
Deptford St Paul 1 11.45x
Greenwich 1 18.94x
Maidstone 1 29.67x
Tormoham 1 34.25x
Westminster St James 1 29.33x
Wimbledon 1 55.25x
Woolwich 1 23.92x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sean surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Mgt. 2
Adelaid 1
Edith 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sean surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Charles 1
Joel 1
Robert 1
Selen 1
Susanna 1
W. 1
Wm.John 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sean households.

FAQ

Sean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 34 people were recorded with the Sean surname. That placed it at #28,837 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Sean a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Sean surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Seán, meaning "God is gracious".

What does the Sean map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sean bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.