Shannon
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- SHAN-on
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,206 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #2,387 for girls
Big in Northern Ireland
Shannon is a girls' name of Irish origin. In 2025 it ranked 2,206th for girls in the UK (13 babies) and 2,387th for girls in the US (75 babies).
What does Shannon mean?
Irish: from the River Shannon
From the River Shannon, Ireland's longest river, linked in legend with the goddess Sionann.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Shannon a girl's or a boy's name?
Shannon is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 13 girls in the UK and 75 girls and 41 boys in the US.
How popular is Shannon in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,206among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 13about 1 in 21,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 45% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 13 girls in the UK were named Shannon, making it the 2,206th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,587th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 5,336 girls.
2025 had the fewest girls named Shannon since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the girls named Shannon in the UK since 1996 were born between 1997 and 2003. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 2,137th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#33) and 2004 (#54).
Shannon in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #2,206 |
| 2024 | 20 | #1,592 |
| 2023 | 19 | #1,666 |
| 2022 | 22 | #1,485 |
| 2021 | 24 | #1,393 |
| 2020 | 20 | #1,587 |
| 2019 | 43 | #909 |
| 2018 | 31 | #1,180 |
| 2017 | 59 | #746 |
| 2016 | 64 | #707 |
| 2015 | 79 | #598 |
| 2014 | 99 | #481 |
| 2013 | 104 | #450 |
| 2012 | 159 | #338 |
| 2011 | 189 | #288 |
| 2010 | 265 | #219 |
| 2009 | 305 | #198 |
| 2008 | 446 | #134 |
| 2007 | 751 | #87 |
| 2006 | 987 | #71 |
| 2005 | 1,124 | #56 |
| 2004 | 1,308 | #52 |
| 2003 | 1,652 | #31 |
| 2002 | 1,882 | #28 |
| 2001 | 2,338 | #23 |
| 2000 | 2,585 | #20 |
| 1999 | 2,812 | #20 |
| 1998 | 3,576 | #18 |
| 1997 | 4,505 | #14 |
| 1996 | 5,336 | #11 |
How popular is Shannon in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,387among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 75about 1 in 21,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 29% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 75 girls in the US were named Shannon, making it the 2,387th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,948th. Its busiest year was 1970, with 13,547 girls. It first appears in the records in 1912. 41 boys were also named Shannon in 2025 (2,990th for boys).
2025 had fewer girls named Shannon than any year since 1940.
Half of all the girls named Shannon in the US since 1880 were born between 1972 and 1987, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1918, 17% of the babies named Shannon in the US were girls. By 2025 it was 65%, with more girls than boys since 1937.
Shannon in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 75 | #2,387 |
| 2024 | 107 | #1,870 |
| 2023 | 96 | #2,033 |
| 2022 | 109 | #1,856 |
| 2021 | 122 | #1,698 |
| 2020 | 98 | #1,948 |
| 2019 | 147 | #1,490 |
| 2018 | 148 | #1,482 |
| 2017 | 174 | #1,334 |
| 2016 | 193 | #1,264 |
| 2015 | 249 | #1,055 |
| 2014 | 257 | #1,015 |
| 2013 | 278 | #917 |
| 2012 | 327 | #823 |
| 2011 | 394 | #705 |
| 2010 | 419 | #685 |
| 2009 | 543 | #561 |
| 2008 | 657 | #482 |
| 2007 | 741 | #437 |
| 2006 | 919 | #356 |
| 2005 | 1,053 | #303 |
| 2004 | 1,255 | #256 |
| 2003 | 1,447 | #227 |
| 2002 | 1,757 | #184 |
| 2001 | 1,906 | #171 |
| 2000 | 2,180 | #152 |
| 1999 | 2,747 | #118 |
| 1998 | 3,278 | #104 |
| 1997 | 3,914 | #85 |
| 1996 | 4,337 | #80 |
| 1995 | 4,733 | #73 |
| 1994 | 5,508 | #60 |
| 1993 | 6,070 | #53 |
| 1992 | 5,290 | #66 |
| 1991 | 4,845 | #71 |
| 1990 | 5,190 | #68 |
| 1989 | 5,660 | #61 |
| 1988 | 6,256 | #56 |
| 1987 | 6,968 | #45 |
| 1986 | 7,403 | #44 |
| 1985 | 7,714 | #41 |
| 1984 | 8,476 | #37 |
| 1983 | 8,424 | #38 |
| 1982 | 8,623 | #38 |
| 1981 | 9,226 | #32 |
| 1980 | 9,670 | #29 |
| 1979 | 10,370 | #25 |
| 1978 | 10,598 | #22 |
| 1977 | 12,518 | #19 |
| 1976 | 13,368 | #17 |
| 1975 | 9,370 | #21 |
| 1974 | 10,608 | #18 |
| 1973 | 9,802 | #22 |
| 1972 | 10,965 | #22 |
| 1971 | 12,647 | #21 |
| 1970 | 13,547 | #22 |
| 1969 | 10,452 | #31 |
| 1968 | 6,403 | #53 |
| 1967 | 3,444 | #101 |
| 1966 | 2,990 | #120 |
| 1965 | 2,570 | #144 |
| 1964 | 2,299 | #170 |
| 1963 | 2,053 | #186 |
| 1962 | 1,394 | #231 |
| 1961 | 1,234 | #252 |
| 1960 | 1,011 | #288 |
| 1959 | 1,007 | #282 |
| 1958 | 824 | #324 |
| 1957 | 709 | #340 |
| 1956 | 692 | #332 |
| 1955 | 643 | #336 |
| 1954 | 558 | #367 |
| 1953 | 492 | #382 |
| 1952 | 419 | #410 |
| 1951 | 374 | #430 |
| 1950 | 382 | #407 |
| 1949 | 267 | #493 |
| 1948 | 219 | #561 |
| 1947 | 256 | #517 |
| 1946 | 152 | #641 |
| 1945 | 119 | #680 |
| 1944 | 120 | #681 |
| 1943 | 143 | #634 |
| 1942 | 126 | #668 |
| 1941 | 83 | #790 |
| 1940 | 72 | #841 |
| 1939 | 65 | #868 |
| 1938 | 55 | #955 |
| 1937 | 55 | #929 |
| 1936 | 32 | #1,267 |
| 1935 | 32 | #1,264 |
| 1934 | 38 | #1,148 |
| 1933 | 29 | #1,330 |
| 1932 | 23 | #1,597 |
| 1931 | 28 | #1,393 |
| 1930 | 15 | #2,201 |
| 1929 | 20 | #1,824 |
| 1928 | 17 | #2,093 |
| 1927 | 9 | #3,282 |
| 1926 | 11 | #2,871 |
| 1925 | 13 | #2,616 |
| 1924 | 10 | #3,143 |
| 1923 | 11 | #2,916 |
| 1922 | 15 | #2,387 |
| 1921 | 6 | #4,462 |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 5 | #4,812 |
| 1918 | 5 | #4,807 |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 5 | #2,977 |
Names like Shannon
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Erin Keira Teagan Raegan Caragh Aoibheann Ffion Fallon Caitlin Eireann Cassidy Rhiannon
Names related to Shannon
Shani Shana Shannan Shanna Shannen Shaunna Shiann Shanon Shane Shyann
More Irish names
Oscar Rowan Rory Maeve Finn Aiden Ryan Nolan Quinn Orla Cody Ronan Connor Declan Casey Kennedy
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Shannon: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/shannon, updated 20 October 2026.