Séamus

For other uses, see Seamus (disambiguation).

Séamus
Pronunciation	Irish pronunciation: [ˈʃeɪməs]
Gender	Male
Origin
Word/name	Gaelic
Meaning	"he supplanted" or "substitute"
Region of origin	Ireland, Scotland, Irish diaspora, Scottish diaspora, Scottish Gaelic, Scottish Kings
Other names
Related names	Hamish, James, Jamie, Seumas

Séamus (Irish pronunciation: [ˈʃeːməs] or [ˈʃɔməs]), is a male first name of Celtic origin. It is the Gaelic equivalent of the name James. The name James is the English New Testament variant for the Hebrew name Jacob. It entered the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages from the French variation of the late Latin name for Jacob, Iacomus; a dialect variant of Iacobus, from the New Testament Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōvos), and ultimately from Hebrew word יעקב (Yaʻaqov), i.e. Jacob. Its meaning in Hebrew is "one who supplants" or more literally "one who grabs at the heel". When the Hebrew patriarch Jacob was born, he was grasping his twin brother Esau's heel.

Variant spellings include Seamus, Séamas, Seumas, Seumus, Shaymus, Sheamus and Shamus. Diminutives include Séimí, Séimín and Séamaisín. In the United States, the word "Shamus", of Yiddish origin, is sometimes used as a slang word for private detective.

Given name

• Seamus, Stuart / Stewart Kings of Scotland numbers 1 through to 6
• Seamus Blackley, American physicist, talent agent, and co-creator of the original Xbox console
• Séamus Brennan (1948–2008), Irish politician and Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism
• Séamus Burke (1893–1967), Irish politician
• Séamus Coleman (born 1988), Irish footballer
• Séamus Cunningham (born 1942), Irish Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle
• Séamus de Brún (1911–2003), Irish senator and Irish-language promoter
• Seamus Dever (born 1976), American actor
• Séamus Egan (born 1969), Irish musician
• Seamus Heaney (1939–2013), Nobel Prize–winning Irish poet, writer and lecturer
• Seamus Mallon (born 1936), Irish politician: Senator, MP, MLA, and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
• Seamus McCaffery (born 1950), American judge, Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice
• Seamus McGarvey (born 1967), Northern Irish cinematographer
• Seamus O'Donovan, Irish explosives expert and leading volunteer in the Irish Republican Army
• Seamus O'Regan (born 1971), Canadian broadcast journalist
• Seamus Ryan, a.k.a. MC Esoteric, American hip-hop artist
• Sheamus (born 1978), ring name of Irish professional wrestler Stephen Farrelly
• Seamus Marten (born 1982), Current CEO of FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Papua New Guinea 2016

See also

• James (name)
• Jacob (name)