Seamus

SHAY-mus

Irish variation of James

"supplanter"

Seamus Origin and Meaning

The name Seamus is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "supplanter".

Parents who have tired of Sean are now contemplating Seamus, the Irish form of James, which has a lot more substance and verve.

One of the name's most famous bearers is the 1995 Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet Seamus Heaney. Seamus is also a Harry Potter name—Seamus Finnigan is a half-blood wizard friend of Harry's.

At a time when the police force was predominantly Irish, "shamus" became a slang term for a detective.

Seamus Rank in US Top 1000

# 977 in the US

Seamus Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 648 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Seamus

• 977 US 2017
• 648 Nameberry 2025
• 370 Unique 2023
• 895 England 2018

20 Names Similar to Seamus

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Seamus.

• Ewan
• Byron
• Roland
• Desmond
• Henrik
• Darcy
• Samson
• Hamish
• Abram
• Emil
• Simeon
• Solomon
• Griffith
• Fergus
• Dashiell
• Lionel
• Cormac
• Ira
• Ephraim
• Conrad

Famous People Named Seamus

• Seamus Deane Northern Irish poet and novelist
• Seamus Justin Heaney Northern Irish poet
• Seamus McGarvey Northern Irish cinematographer
• Seamus Patrick Dever American actor
• Seamus Thomas Harris O'Regan Canadian politician and TV personality
• Seamus Frederick Mallon Northern Irish politician
• Seamus Liam Davey Fitzpatrick, American actor
• Seamus Anthony "Shay" Brennan Irish footballer
• Seamus "Shay" Keogh Irish footballer
• Seamus "Shay" Elliott Irish cyclist

The name Seamus in Pop Culture

• Seamus Finnigan character in the "Harry Potter" series
• Seamus McTiernen character in film "The Luck of the Irish"
• "Seamus " song by Pink Floyd