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.
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 →
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. Its peak popularity came in 1993, when 216 Shannens were born — ranking #892 that year. As of 2026, Shannen ranks #15,178 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Shannens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shannen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1966, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 10 Shannens were born — ranking #5,096 that year. As of 2026, Shannen ranks #12,271 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 150 Shannens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
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
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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.