Shannen
Shannon is an Irish name, Anglicised from Sionainn. Alternative spellings include Shannen, Shanon, Shannan, and Siannon. The variant Shanna is an Anglicisation of Sionna.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Shannen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shannon is an Irish name, Anglicised from Sionainn. Alternative spellings include Shannen, Shanon, Shannan, and Siannon. The variant Shanna is an Anglicisation of Sionna.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Shannen
As a girl name
Shannen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1961, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1993: 216 births, good for #892 nationwide. About 51% of every Shannen on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Shannen last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Shannen as a boy name dates back to 1966, when 5 babies received it. 1991 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Shannen — #5,096 in the national rankings. About 27% of every Shannen on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Shannen last appeared in the published SSA data in 2012, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 150 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Shannen
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Shannen. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Shannen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shannen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shannen
What does the name Shannen mean?
What is the origin of the name Shannen?
How popular is Shannen in 2026?
When was Shannen most popular?
In which U.S. states is Shannen most popular?
Is Shannen a unisex name?
What names go well with Shannen?
What are nicknames or variants of Shannen?
About the name Shannen
Shannen is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1961 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Shannen's peak popularity came in 1993 when it ranked #892. Use the chart and map above to compare Shannen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1993 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.