Shannon
Girl name · #2393 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Shannon? In official American birth records, Shannon has been tracked continuously since 1912, giving it 113 years of documented American history.
Shannon is currently the #2393 girl name in the United States — 75 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1055, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 24,000 girls born in 2025 was named Shannon.
Babies named Shannon per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 113-year story
Shannon first appears in the Social Security records in 1912, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 13,547 girls were named Shannon — good for #22 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shannon against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shannon in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shannon is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shannon will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shannon is most common
State-level data for Shannon is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Shannon
Statistically, parents drawn to Shannon tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Stacey, Colleen, Suzanna, Malinda, and Melinda.
StaceyColleenSuzannaMalindaMelindaStacyNicolleSiobhan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shannon | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 75 | #2387 |
| 2024 | 107 | #1870 |
| 2023 | 96 | #2033 |
| 2022 | 109 | #1856 |
| 2021 | 122 | #1698 |
| 2020 | 98 | #1948 |
| 2019 | 147 | #1490 |
| 2018 | 148 | #1482 |
| 2017 | 174 | #1334 |
| 2016 | 193 | #1264 |
| 2015 | 249 | #1055 |
| 2014 | 257 | #1015 |
| 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 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Shannon?
In official American birth records, the name Shannon first appeared in 1912 (over 113 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 113 years.
Is Shannon a popular girl name?
Shannon ranked #2393 among girls in 2025 with 75 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1055.
When was the name Shannon most popular?
Shannon peaked in 1970, when 13,547 American girls received the name (ranked #22 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Shannon?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 24,000 newborn American girls was named Shannon. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.