Seamus is the Irish form of James, which goes back through Latin to the Hebrew Jacob and means "supplanter" or "holder of the heel". Pronounced SHAY-mus, it belongs to Nobel-winning poet Seamus Heaney and is a proud marker of Irish heritage in America. Seamus peaked at number 735 in 2003, dropped out of the US top 1000 in 2018 and ranks number 1,280 in 2025.