Seamus

Seamus - A very unique male name

Seamus appeared on the charts for the first time in 1964 on position #1446. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Seamus and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Seamus? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Seamus. The baby boy name Seamus was given to 118 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1214 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 12,426 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Seamus peaked in popularity 18 years ago in 2008 on position 753.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Seamus, 1-5?

Seamus is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Seamus is currently topping the baby name charts in Massachusetts at position #295 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,893.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Seamus is where you live.

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Seamus origin and meaning

Irish (Séamus)

The Irish form of James — Hebrew for 'supplanter', via Greek and Latin Jacobus

Seamus is the anglicised spelling of Séamus, Ireland's form of James. American use dates from 1964 and is slowly rising. Its most famous modern bearer, poet Seamus Heaney (died 2013), is typed contemporary under the died-2000-or-later rule.

Attested etymology

Seamus is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Seamus, pop culture references for the name Seamus and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Seamus

We've found the following names that sound similar to Seamus, sorted by popularity.

Semaj / Simcha / Sanjay / Seneca / Shamus / Sanchez / Sang / Shameek / Sung / Seng /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Seamus

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Seamus a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Seamus?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

SHAY-mus · /ˈʃeɪməs/

Around the world

• Séamus (Irish) — The accented Irish original.

Spellings and nicknames

• James — The English form of the same name.
• Shamus — A phonetic respelling.

Nicknames: Shea

Famous bearers

• Seamus Heaney — Irish poet and Nobel laureate in Literature (1939–2013) Contemporary

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

Seamus states Irish heritage unmistakably while remaining a form of the evergreen James — traditional, literary, and warm.

Worth knowing

• English readers regularly guess 'SEE-mus' or 'seam-us'; the SHAY-mus pronunciation needs one correction per new acquaintance.