Shannon

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Girl or boy · Irish

Shannon

Say it: SHAN-un

Try it with your surname

Meaning

From the River Shannon in Ireland (Sionainn), linked in legend with the goddess Sionann; the meaning 'old, wise one' is often given but uncertain.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Used for both sexes in the US from the 1940s, mostly for girls from the 1960s.

Its wave through time

A fashion of the 1970s

In the United States

051018801900192019401960198020002020Girls 1976Boys 1972per 1,000 babies of that sex
  • 347,415 babies given this name since 1881
  • At its height in 1976, about 1 in 110 girls
  • 167 babies in 2020

Through the ages

  1. The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

AmericanIrishEnglish

The family of the name

Other spellings: Shanon

IrishSionainn

Famous bearers

  • Shannon Sharpe (male), American football player

Names worth a look

Where this comes from

  • United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
  • United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.