Seamus: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Seamus is the Irish form of James. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Séamus
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- James
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 147 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Seamus?
Seamus is pronounced SHAY-muss. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Seamus mean?
The Irish version of James. Many well-known Irishmen have been called Seamus including the 1995 Nobel poet laureate Seamus Heaney. The Nobel prize in Literature was awarded for his “works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past”.
How popular is Seamus in Ireland?
In 2025, 36 baby boys in Ireland were named Séamus, which made it No. 147 that year. Another 9 were registered as Seamus. That's down from No. 140 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1966, when 112 baby boys were named Seamus, No. 55 that year. The most babies got the name in 1977: 157. The records go back to 1964, when 87 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 45 | No. 147 (Séamus) |
| 2024 | 53 | No. 125 (Séamus) |
| 2023 | 41 | No. 155 (Séamus) |
| 2022 | 39 | No. 184 (Séamus) |
| 2021 | 50 | No. 168 (Séamus) |
| 2020 | 51 | No. 155 (Séamus) |
| 2019 | 42 | No. 202 (Séamus) |
| 2018 | 45 | No. 195 (Séamus) |
| 2017 | 46 | No. 134 (Seamus) |
| 2016 | 50 | No. 131 (Seamus) |
| 2015 | 45 | No. 140 (Seamus) |
| 2014 | 47 | No. 136 (Seamus) |
| 2013 | 36 | No. 178 (Seamus) |
| 2012 | 45 | No. 153 (Seamus) |
| 2011 | 44 | No. 160 (Seamus) |
| 2010 | 37 | No. 174 (Seamus) |
| 2009 | 46 | No. 146 (Seamus) |
| 2008 | 45 | No. 148 (Seamus) |
| 2007 | 44 | No. 143 (Seamus) |
| 2006 | 39 | No. 137 (Seamus) |
| 2005 | 42 | No. 129 (Seamus) |
| 2004 | 36 | No. 134 (Seamus) |
| 2003 | 40 | No. 120 (Seamus) |
| 2002 | 50 | No. 99 (Seamus) |
| 2001 | 42 | No. 113 (Seamus) |
| 2000 | 48 | No. 101 (Seamus) |
| 1999 | 45 | No. 103 (Seamus) |
| 1998 | 45 | No. 95 (Seamus) |
| 1997 | 47 | No. 106 (Seamus) |
| 1996 | 63 | No. 91 (Seamus) |
| 1995 | 58 | No. 94 (Seamus) |
| 1994 | 55 | No. 97 (Seamus) |
| 1993 | 62 | No. 93 (Seamus) |
| 1992 | 71 | No. 84 (Seamus) |
| 1991 | 82 | No. 75 (Seamus) |
| 1990 | 100 | No. 70 (Seamus) |
| 1989 | 87 | No. 76 (Seamus) |
| 1988 | 79 | No. 79 (Seamus) |
| 1987 | 87 | No. 77 (Seamus) |
| 1986 | 105 | No. 72 (Seamus) |
| 1985 | 106 | No. 69 (Seamus) |
| 1984 | 101 | No. 71 (Seamus) |
| 1983 | 110 | No. 70 (Seamus) |
| 1982 | 152 | No. 60 (Seamus) |
| 1981 | 143 | No. 66 (Seamus) |
| 1980 | 128 | No. 71 (Seamus) |
| 1979 | 148 | No. 65 (Seamus) |
| 1978 | 144 | No. 62 (Seamus) |
| 1977 | 157 | No. 59 (Seamus) |
| 1976 | 138 | No. 65 (Seamus) |
| 1975 | 146 | No. 61 (Seamus) |
| 1974 | 134 | No. 63 (Seamus) |
| 1973 | 153 | No. 60 (Seamus) |
| 1972 | 146 | No. 58 (Seamus) |
| 1971 | 146 | No. 56 (Seamus) |
| 1970 | 112 | No. 64 (Seamus) |
| 1969 | 114 | No. 59 (Seamus) |
| 1968 | 101 | No. 60 (Seamus) |
| 1967 | 110 | No. 55 (Seamus) |
| 1966 | 112 | No. 55 (Seamus) |
| 1965 | 105 | No. 58 (Seamus) |
| 1964 | 87 | No. 60 (Seamus) |
Seamus in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Seamus, letter by letter.
- SSail, willow
- EEadhadh, aspen
- AAilm, pine
- MMuin, vine
- UÚr, heather
- SSail, willow
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Seamus
Questions about Seamus
- How do you pronounce Seamus?
- Seamus is pronounced SHAY-muss. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- Is Seamus a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Seamus is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Seamus in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Séamus. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Seamus in English?
- The English form of Seamus is James.
- How popular is Seamus in Ireland?
- In 2025, Séamus was No. 147 for boys in Ireland, with 36 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1966, at No. 55.