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Shannon as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Shannon

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The baby name Shannon is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈʃænən/ (SHAN-ən or SHAN-non).

Shannon is Irish in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: /ˈʃænən/ (SHAN-ən or SHAN-non)

What is the meaning of the name Shannon ?

The baby name Shannon is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈʃænən/ (SHAN-ən or SHAN-non).

Shannon is Irish in Origin.

Shannon is the Anglicized form of Irish Sionainn, the name of Ireland’s longest river. In myth, Sionann (a goddess or heroine) sought knowledge at the Well of Wisdom; the waters burst forth and created the river, so the name is often interpreted as “wise river” or “river of wisdom.” Another widespread gloss, “old river,” reflects a folk etymology linking it to sean “old” + abhainn “river.” Scholars note the exact derivation is debated, but all senses anchor it to the river and themes of knowledge.

As a given name, Shannon rose in the English-speaking world during the 20th century, used for both sexes but especially popular for girls from the 1970s to 1990s in the United States, Britain, and Australia; male use was earlier and more modest. It also functions as a transferred surname. Variants and spellings include Sionainn (Irish), Shannen, Shannan, Shanon, Shannyn, with short forms Shan and Shanna.

Shannon has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Shannon

Shannon Elizabeth Actor · Born 1973 · United States Shannon Elizabeth is best known for her role as Nadia in the hit comedy film American Pie. Born in 1973 in the United States, she has also appeared in movies like Scary Movie and Love Actually. Shannon Leto Actor|musician · Born 1970 · United States Shannon Leto is an American musician best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He started the group in Los Angeles in 1998 with his younger brother Jared, and the band is known for songs like "The Kill" and "Kings and Queens." Shannon Lee Actor · Born 1969 · United States Shannon Lee is an American actress best known as the daughter of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and for helping preserve and promote his legacy. She has appeared in films such as Cage II and High Voltage, and she is the younger sister of actor Brandon Lee.
Shannon Tweed Actor · Born 1957 · Canada Shannon Tweed is a Canadian actress best known for her role in the TV series 'Falcon Crest' and her appearances in Playboy magazine. She gained further fame through her marriage to Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS. Born in 1957, she has also appeared in films like 'Hot Dog... The Movie'. Shannon Purser Actor · Born 1997 · United States Shannon Purser is an American actress best known for playing Barb in the first season of Stranger Things. She made her screen debut in the hit Netflix series in 2016, and her performance earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Shannon Kook Actor · Born 1987 · South Africa Shannon Kook is a South African actor best known for his role as Zane Park on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He has also appeared in the film The Conjuring and the series Shadowhunters.

Celebrity babies named Shannon

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Shannon Lee Bruce Lee film director ★★★★★

Shannon – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
KR Girls 0 #15 1 572
NA 0 #31 3 2,537
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
CN 0 #82 5 3,857
TW 0 #82 19 4,523
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
ID Girls 0 #100 3 3,319
QA 0 #103 4 7,011
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
BN Girls 0 #112 3 5,459
KW 0 #118 4 5,216
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
CR 0 #121 38 5,526
CY Girls 0 #124 2 3,755
Switzerland Girls 2024 #134 2 1,786
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
MT Girls 0 #139 13 3,773
BW Girls 0 #148 4 4,216
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
Sweden Boys 2005 #167 2 1,097
Sweden Girls 2012 #171 2 1,538
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
MT Boys 0 #176 4 4,064
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
AE 0 #179 9 10,220
UY 0 #181 2 2,477
LU Girls 0 #182 9 4,850
Belgium Girls 2008 #185 27 396
JM Girls 0 #187 75 7,507
RU 0 #190 5 3,641
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
ZA 0 #194 266 14,421
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
NA Girls 0 #206 19 7,146
SG 0 #211 59 11,010
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
PS 0 #222 5 5,692
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
TW Girls 0 #225 52 8,139
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
JM Boys 0 #241 32 6,876
JP Girls 0 #243 9 6,592
NA Boys 0 #250 4 6,830
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
EC Girls 0 #257 2 3,650
MO Girls 0 #258 6 7,056
Canada Girls 2024 #276 10 2,795
IL 0 #277 6 6,291
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
SG Girls 0 #293 327 18,916
JP Boys 0 #300 4 7,909
QA Girls 0 #302 15 15,378
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
CN Girls 0 #309 41 8,829
SA 0 #310 3 10,560
MY 0 #311 20 12,352
DK Girls 0 #322 8 7,429
CN Boys 0 #325 7 9,639
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
Canada Boys 2017 #331 5 2,609
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
GH Girls 0 #332 6 6,973
HK 0 #332 17 8,483
MU Girls 0 #333 19 8,539
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
CZ Girls 0 #349 3 5,378
ZA Girls 0 #350 1,704 25,928
NL 0 #355 37 2,481
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
France Girls 2021 #379 27 3,185
OM Girls 0 #380 17 15,987
PH Girls 0 #381 10 13,098
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
CR Girls 0 #385 151 11,342
France Boys 2017 #394 3 2,842
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
PH Boys 0 #406 3 11,440
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
Germany 0 #424 14 2,542
CL 0 #429 6 6,867
NL Girls 0 #434 691 5,933
MX 0 #441 5 8,339
CR Boys 0 #465 23 10,188
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
RU Girls 0 #477 22 11,913
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
RU Boys 0 #494 12 12,621
KW Girls 0 #500 16 19,177
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CO 0 #505 6 7,768
PA Girls 0 #513 6 9,861
PS Girls 0 #513 11 10,981
HK Boys 0 #514 14 12,905
AE Girls 0 #523 31 20,968
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
HK Girls 0 #528 88 16,104
UY Girls 0 #528 9 6,731
GT Girls 0 #538 4 7,500
BH 0 #542 12 17,937
IR Girls 0 #543 3 8,334
CM Girls 0 #553 8 11,671
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CM Boys 0 #572 4 12,054
BO Girls 0 #601 11 9,488
IL Girls 0 #604 14 11,648
SG Boys 0 #615 83 17,960
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
Finland Boys 2026 #678 5 3,552
LB 0 #686 5 13,263
IT 0 #692 23 4,183
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
Finland Girls 2026 #727 12 3,895
ZA Boys 0 #730 514 25,619
QA Boys 0 #736 8 18,093
Germany Girls 0 #752 87 4,949
KW Boys 0 #759 11 18,755
NG Girls 0 #759 28 15,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
United States Girls 2024 #810 107 8,487
CL Girls 0 #820 32 14,098
MY Girls 0 #837 158 24,821
United States Boys 2024 #842 51 7,044
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
NL Boys 0 #904 48 5,873
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Girls 0 #918 26 14,861
PE Boys 0 #920 7 14,506
EG Boys 0 #921 5 15,035
SA Girls 0 #921 15 25,931
Germany Boys 0 #940 13 5,697
Spain Girls 0 #947 37 5,561
EG Girls 0 #949 11 14,742
CO Boys 0 #978 4 15,656
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
NG Boys 0 #999 3 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,026 8 16,355
CO Girls 0 #1,029 50 16,140
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,059 53 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,079 14 22,615
MX Girls 0 #1,141 43 17,781
MA 0 #1,191 9 20,986
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,249 6 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,305 142 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,452 20 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,605 10 28,008

Shannon is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
France
Canada
United States

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People also ask about Shannon

Shannon is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Shannon is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈʃænən/ (SHAN-ən or SHAN-non).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Shanon, Shannonne, Shannen, Shannan, Shanonn and Sionainn.
Across languages, Shannon has these equivalents: Sionna (Irish river/goddess), Sionainn (Irish original river name), Jordan (Hebrew; river name used as a given name), River (English nature name), Brooke/Brook (English; stream).
Yes, very popular — Shannon ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Shannon ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 12 notable people named Shannon are in our database, including Shannon Elizabeth (Actor), Shannon Leto (Actor|musician), Shannon Lee (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Shannon for their child, including Bruce Lee.