Etymograph

English

Sean

Sean comes from Irish Seán, and goes back to Koine Greek Ἰωάννης.

  1. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEἸωάννηςIōánnēs
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEJohannes
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400Jehan
  4. Irishc. 1200–presentSeán
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1996Sean

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEἸωάννηςIōánnēs
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEJohannes
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400Jehan
  4. Irishc. 1200–presentSeán
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1996Sean

Earliest quotation: 1996, Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes: “They sit by the fire smoking and talking about…”

The story

Anglicised form of Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”).

Every English word from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης

Today it means

name A male given name from Irish.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Koine Greek Ἰωάννης / Sean

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