Shannon
Shannon was the 2405th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 75 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 17th; the most babies were born in 1970 (13,547). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,342 places. More babies were named Shannon in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning River Shannon (Irish) · Irish
Say it SHAN-un /ˈʃænən/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,405 girls, down 449 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 75girls
- Girls and boys
- 68% girls, 32% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 197013,547 babies
- Total since 1880
- 348,161babies recorded
What does the name Shannon mean?
Shannon comes from Irish Sionainn, the River Shannon, Ireland's longest river, as Wiktionary notes. In Irish tradition the river is named after Sionann, a goddess or legendary woman; the name's meaning is uncertain, and 'old one' or 'wise one' are common but unproven glosses. Shannon became a given name in the 20th century, first for boys and then mainly for girls in the US.
Sionainn (Irish, “River Shannon”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The river's name is clear; its meaning is not.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'old wise one'.
Related names: Shanon, Shannen.
See also: Irish names, names that mean water, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shannon', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Shannon popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,405 | #3,031 | 75 | 41 |
| 2020 | #1,956 | #2,044 | 98 | 70 |
| 2010 | #685 | #1,650 | 419 | 95 |
| 2000 | #152 | #723 | 2,180 | 241 |
| 1990 | #68 | #429 | 5,190 | 520 |
| 1980 | #29 | #184 | 9,670 | 1,328 |
| 1970 | #22 | #128 | 13,547 | 2,571 |
| 1960 | #288 | #469 | 1,011 | 286 |
| 1950 | #408 | #717 | 382 | 92 |
| 1940 | #846 | #1,129 | 72 | 35 |
| 1930 | #2,289 | #2,587 | 15 | 11 |
| 1920 | — | #1,876 | — | 19 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | #1,139 | — | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Shannon, counting every spelling?
Shannon is the most common spelling of a name family that had 75 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 75 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon | 75 | #2,405 | 509 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Shannon?
75 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Shannon (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Shannon born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 112 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Shannon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Shannon?
About 279,200 people born in the US named Shannon are alive today, with a median age of 47; half are between 38 and 54. That makes Shannon mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Shannon by state
How common Shannon was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 36 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Shannon: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Shannon, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Shannon · Sibling names for Shannon
Questions about the name Shannon
What does Shannon mean?
Shannon is usually explained as “River Shannon (Irish)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Shannon?
Shannon was the 2405th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 75 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 17th; the most babies were born in 1970 (13,547). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,342 places. More babies were named Shannon in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Shannon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 68% girls, 32% boys given the name Shannon in the US.
Where is Shannon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Shannon was most common in Massachusetts (0.12 per 1,000 girls), followed by Illinois and New York.