Shannon
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 Shannon
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 Shannon
As a girl name
Shannon first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 13,547 Shannons were born — ranking #22 that year. As of 2026, Shannon ranks #1,924 for girls with 104 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 296K Shannons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shannon first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1881, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 3,013 Shannons were born — ranking #94 that year. As of 2026, Shannon ranks #3,154 for boys with 39 births, falling sharply (-38%). In total, more than 52K Shannons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shannon
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shannon 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 Shannon
What does the name Shannon mean?
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In which U.S. states is Shannon most popular?
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About the name Shannon
Shannon is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 296K births in the dataset. Shannon's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #17. Use the chart and map above to compare Shannon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- 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.