boy's name
Seamie
SHAY-mee
- Origin Irish, Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (Ireland)
- Births on record 137
Ireland
#212
as Séamie, 2025
Seamie is an Irish boy's name, a pet form of Séamus, the Irish version of James. It means "supplanter," following James and the Hebrew Yaakov, and it has recently become a first name in Ireland, where parents prize friendly short forms.
- Seamie is a name of Irish, Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in Ireland in 2025, when 30 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in Ireland.
- Today about 1 in 5,607 babies in Ireland is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 2012.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Seamie Over Time
Births per decade in Ireland, 2010s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 2010s | 22 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 115 |
What Seamie Means
Seamie carries the meaning of James, usually given as supplanter or he who follows. Its -ie ending makes it warmer and more casual than Séamus, closer to a family nickname.
Where Seamie Comes From
James comes from Latin Iacomus, a late form of Iacobus, the Latin version of Hebrew Yaakov. The Hebrew name is linked in Genesis with the heel Jacob grasped at birth, and it's read as he who supplants. French gave Jacques, and Norman contact brought Séamus to Irish, where the initial sound shifted to sh. English speakers often wrote it Seamus or Shamus. Seamie is an English-style pet form of the name. It began as a family nickname, and parents have begun to register it as a full name.
Seamie in Use
The name was long a familiar nickname for an Irish boy named Séamus, with Séamus Heaney being the best-known adult bearer of the full form. Like Paudie and Mossie, it shows Irish parents moving nicknames onto the birth certificate.
How Popular Is Seamie?
In 2025, Seamie was given to 8 babies in Ireland, ranking #433 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in Ireland.
Irish figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. The Central Statistics Office began recording the síneadh fada in 2018, so accented and unaccented spellings are counted separately from that year on. Data & sources.
How Seamie Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Séamie | Séamie is a rare spelling of Seamie, written with a fada and recorded 68 times, mostly in Ireland. | 68 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Seamie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Seamie Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Seamie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Seamie
- Pronunciation SHAY-mee
Seamie in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Seamie
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Seamie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Seamie
What does the name Seamie mean?
Supplanter, the meaning of James, through Séamus.
How do you pronounce Seamie?
SHAY-mee.
Is Seamie short for Seamus?
Yes, and it's now also given as a full name in Ireland.
Is Seamie a girl's or a boy's name?
Seamie is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Seamie?
Seamie has 2 syllables.
When was Seamie most popular?
Seamie peaked in 2025, when 30 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Seamie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Seamie currently ranks #212 in Ireland. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.