Shannon

Shannon - A very unique male name

Shannon appeared on the charts for the first time in 1915 on position #1489. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Shannon and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Shannon? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Shannon. The baby boy name Shannon was given to 11 baby boys in 2024, ranking #3114 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 134,229 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Shannon peaked in popularity 54 years ago in 1972 on position 93.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Shannon, 1-5?

Shannon is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Shannon is currently topping the baby name charts in Tennessee at position #1,164 - and is the least popular in Pennsylvania at position #1,219.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Shannon is where you live.

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Shannon origin and meaning

Irish

From the River Shannon in Ireland; the river goddess Sinann's name is of uncertain, probably pre-Celtic origin

Shannon for boys rode the Irish-surname wave to a 1972 peak of 3,010 births, even as girls' use ran far larger. The boys' total is 48,236, last ranked in 2020 with no 2025 row.

Origin uncertain

Shannon is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Shannon, pop culture references for the name Shannon and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Shannon

We've found the following names that sound similar to Shannon, sorted by popularity.

Sean / Shawn / Shane / Sam / Shaun / Simon / Sammy / Sammie / Sonny / Shayne /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Shannon

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Shannon a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Shannon?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

SHAN-un · /ˈʃænən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Shannon Hoon — Lead singer of Blind Melon (1967–1995) Historical
• Shannon Sharpe — Hall of Fame football tight end and broadcaster (b. 1968) Contemporary

Style

Place name

Why parents choose it

A strong 1970s boys' name that the much larger girls' Shannon eventually eclipsed.

Worth knowing

• Read as a girls' name by most people today