unisex name
Shannon
SHAN-un
- Origin Irish
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 392,604
Northern Ireland
#448
2024 births
Shannon is a name from Ireland's longest river, and it is 86 percent female in our records. Its weakest position of any market is Ireland itself, at 991st — the river's own country uses it least.
- Shannon is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1970, when 16,118 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 28,581 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Shannon over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 |
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 30 |
| 1910s | 200 |
| 1920s | 366 |
| 1930s | 669 |
| 1940s | 2,153 |
| 1950s | 7,544 |
| 1960s | 43,701 |
| 1970s | 138,442 |
| 1980s | 86,539 |
| 1990s | 49,758 |
| 2000s | 14,390 |
| 2010s | 3,435 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 918 |
What Shannon means
Shannon means old river, or wise river. The Irish name of the river is generally read as containing an element meaning old or ancient, with a possible link to a goddess of the same name.
Where Shannon comes from
Shannon is the River Shannon, the longest in Ireland and Britain, whose Irish name Sionainn is traditionally explained through the goddess Sionann. The story is one of the better ones in Irish myth: she goes to the Well of Segais, where the salmon of knowledge swim and hazelnuts of wisdom fall, seeking wisdom that was forbidden to her; the well rises against her and drowns her, becoming the river that carries her name. The element behind it is usually read as old or ancient. As a given name it is American and twentieth-century, and it crossed to majority-female use in the same period as Kelly and Leslie.
Shannon in use
Shannon peaked in the United States in 1970, when 16,118 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in five markets — 448th in Northern Ireland, 991st in Ireland on 3 births, 2113th in France, 2166th in Canada, 2197th in England and Wales and 2397th in the United States on 116 — across 392,604 lifetime births. Ireland gives it the second-weakest position of the five, which is a striking result for a name taken from the country's defining river. About 86 percent of recorded births are female.
How popular is Shannon?
In 2025, Shannon was given to 116 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Shannon is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Shannon
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Shannon also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Shannon over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Shannon
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Shannon 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 Shannon
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Shannon — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Shannon
What does the name Shannon mean?
Old river, from the Irish name of the River Shannon, traditionally linked to the goddess Sionann.
Who was Sionann?
In Irish myth she sought forbidden wisdom at the Well of Segais; the well rose and drowned her, becoming the river.
Is Shannon used in Ireland?
Barely — it ranks 991st there, its second-weakest market, despite being Ireland's defining river.
Is Shannon a boys' or girls' name?
About 86 percent of the births in our records are female.
How popular is the name Shannon?
In 2025, Shannon was given to 116 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
How many syllables are in Shannon?
Shannon has 2 syllables.
When was Shannon most popular?
Shannon peaked in 1970, when 16,118 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Shannon?
Shannon is usually shortened to Shan.
Is Shannon a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Shannon currently ranks #448 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.