Seanna
An Irish feminine name likely derived from Shawnee meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 2,250 living Americans carry the first name Seanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Seanna today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Seanna births was 2006 (125 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Seanna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
2.3K
~ 1 in 152,335 Americans
Peak year
2006
125 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,746
Tracked since 1959
Popularity
Seanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Seanna from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 806 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Seanna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Seanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Seannas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, Florida, Texas recorded the most babies named Seanna, while Illinois, Arizona, Tennessee recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 41 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Seanna
The name Seanna originates from the Irish Gaelic language and has its roots in ancient Celtic culture. It is a feminine form of the name Sean, which is derived from the Old Irish word "shan" meaning "ancient" or "old."
Seanna is believed to have first appeared as a name in the 5th or 6th century AD, during the early Christian era in Ireland. It was likely used as a name for girls born in Irish monastic communities or among the noble families of the time.
While there are no definitive references to the name Seanna in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that the name was used in oral traditions or local records that have been lost over time.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Seanna can be found in the Irish Annals from the 9th century AD, where a woman named Seanna ingen Áeda is mentioned. However, there are few other documented cases of the name's use until more recent centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Seanna. One of the earliest was Seanna Ní Chinnéide (c. 1350 – 1425), an Irish noblewoman and poet who lived during the late medieval period. Another figure was Seanna Nic an Bhaird (c. 1560 – 1630), a Scottish-Irish Gaelic poet and harper from the 16th and 17th centuries.
In more modern times, Seanna Browder (1933 – 2004) was an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway productions and television shows. Seanna Buckman (born 1975) is a contemporary Canadian writer and artist known for her work in children's literature.
Additionally, Seanna Mulholland (born 1979) is a Scottish actress and singer who has performed in various stage productions and television series. These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Seanna throughout history.
People
Seanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Seanna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Seanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Seanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,250 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Seanna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 152,335 US residents.
Is Seanna a common name?
We classify Seanna as "Rare". It ranks above 94.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,331 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Seanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Seanna was 2006, when 125 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Seanna is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Seanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Seanna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.