Seán

Seán is a masculine given name of Irish origin. It is the Gaelic form of John, derived from the Latin Ioannes, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Yochanan. The name has been common in Ireland for centuries and is widely used in the Irish-speaking community and among the Irish diaspora.

In Irish orthography, Seán is written with a fada over the a, signaling a long vowel. The standard Irish pronunciation is roughly like "Shawn." In English-language contexts, the name is usually rendered as Sean, Shaun, or Shawn, and the form Shane is sometimes treated as a variant derived from Seán.

In Ireland, Seán remains a popular given name across generations, and it often appears in combination with a family surname in political, literary, and cultural life. The name has produced a number of notable figures, including the statesman Seán Lemass (1899–1971), who served as Taoiseach; Seán MacEntee (1889–1984), another long-serving Irish political leader; the playwright Seán O'Casey (1880–1964); and the writer Seán Ó Faoláin (1900–1991). The name continues to be used by Irish communities abroad and by people of Irish descent.