Shannon

Did you know?

A few things about Shannon you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Shannon

Shannon Elizabeth

American actress

Choose Shannon and your child shares a first name with Shannon Elizabeth, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Shannon, like who?” Shannon Elizabeth's Wikipedia article is available in 43 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Shannon Elizabeth on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 21,413 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Shannon, 75 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Shannon would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryShannon first shows up in US birth records in 1881, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 144 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1976, when it ranked #17. Today it's #2,387, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowShannon was 26× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 833 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 21,413.
• 🍂TrendShannon has slipped 439 places over the last five years and now sits at #2,387. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedShannon is most popular in Massachusetts, where it ranks #761. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• ⚖️Boy or girlShannon is given to both boys and girls: 65% of the 116 babies named Shannon in 2025 were girls. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
• 💬MeaningIn Irish, Shannon means “old river”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Irish roots.

About the name Shannon

Shannon is a gender-neutral name of Celtic, English and Irish origin meaning “old river”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-non”. US birth records list Shannon for girls from 1912 to 2025, in 108 of those 114 years. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked #17 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #2,387, with 75 babies. Of the 116 US babies named Shannon in 2025, 65% were girls and 35% were boys.

Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesIrish names