Shannon: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “old river”
- Origin
- Irish
- Say it
- SHAN-ən · 2 syllables
- Used for
- Girls (85% of all uses)
From the River Shannon in Ireland, whose Irish name Sionainn may derive from sen, 'old,' with an uncertain second element. It began as a place-based surname and given name.
How popular is Shannon?
Babies named Shannon in 2024158
2024 rank#1,862 girls
Peak year1976
Total US babies since 1880348,046
Shannon is fading: recent use is about 41% of its level ten years before.
Names like Shannon
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Shannon questions
What does the name Shannon mean?
Shannon means "old river". It comes from Irish. From the River Shannon in Ireland, whose Irish name Sionainn may derive from sen, 'old,' with an uncertain second element. It began as a place-based surname and given name.
Is Shannon a boy or girl name?
Shannon is mainly a girl's name in US records (85% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Shannon?
158 US babies were named Shannon in 2024. Its peak year was 1976.
How do you pronounce Shannon?
Shannon is usually pronounced SHAN-ən.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.