The Shannon surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 46,147 people carried this name — #752 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 6,390 people counted. That is up 3% from 44,902 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Shannon surname

A surname from Irish of Irish origin, variant of Shanahan, anglicised from Ó Seanaigh (“descendant of a person named Old”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Shannon» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 72 births for the Shannon name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Clare, and Roscommon.”

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 29
Munster 19
Connacht 14
Leinster 10

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

28 people named Shannon is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 28

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland’s registers today

Shannon was recorded 24 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1003rd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 41. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

86 families named Shannon, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 519 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 7 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 45
New Hampshire 14
North Carolina 6
South Carolina 6
New York 4
Maryland 4
Virginia 4
Massachusetts 2
Maine 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 261 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Shannon in American newspapers,
1911–1930.

Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Shannon
The Tacoma Times 1913-05-15
Newspaper page from Plentywood Herald carrying the name Shannon
Plentywood Herald 1930-05-01
Newspaper page from The Barre Daily Times carrying the name Shannon
The Barre Daily Times 1911-06-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,410 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Shannon in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

110,004 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Shannon. The most, 21,457, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 29,415
Queensland 27,579
South Australia 26,126
Victoria 19,536
Western Australia 4,997
Tasmania 1,532
ACT (Canberra) 574
Northern Territory 73

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Shannon.

Who carried it

People named Shannon,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Shannon
    James Shannon 1799–1859 · academic
  • Julia Shannon
    Julia Shannon 1812–1854 · photographer
  • John Shannon
    John Shannon 1862–1926 · politician
  • Charles Haslewood Shannon
    Charles Haslewood Shannon 1863–1937 · artist
  • Dan Shannon
    Dan Shannon 1865–1913 · baseball player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 256 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Shannon,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States6,646 records

6,646 records of the Shannon name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 2,084
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,465
  • Other U.S. records 3,097
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Kenneth Michael Shannon

    Born 1942; from Santa Clara, California. U.S. Army, armored reconnaissance unit commander; killed in action 1968 in Phuoc Tuy, South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Lawrence K. Shannon

    Born 1920 in New Mexico. Enlisted 1940 at Santa Fe; garage worker from Bernalillo County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Colorado.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Shannon

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Glasgow and Moville, aged 24; servant. From Derry, Scotland; bound for Philadelphia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 6,646 records for Shannon in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,762 records

1,762 records of the Shannon name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 903
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 334
  • Other Australian records 525
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Catherine Shannon

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Sir Robert Seppings, sailing from Woolwich in 1852. Native of Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1856.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Shannon

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836. Married 1836 in Launceston, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizth Shannon

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the Mooresfort, aged 35; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,762 records for Shannon in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada301 records

301 records of the Shannon name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 156
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 39
  • Other Canadian records 106
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record E'th Shannon

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Tamer, landing at Quebec, bound for W. Square, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record George Shannon

    Killed in 1921 at the Joggins Mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John William Shannon

    Buried in 1978 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 64.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 301 records for Shannon in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom45 records

45 records of the Shannon name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 25
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 9
  • Other British records 11
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Shannon

    Buried in 1961 at Callander Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 83.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Michael Shannon

    Will proved in 1930; of Mold, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John James Shannon

    Born 1879. Died 1917. Named in the University of Edinburgh roll of honour, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 45 records for Shannon in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand28 records

28 records of the Shannon name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 22
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 3
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Felix Shannon

    Died 1985, aged 82; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Shannon

    Died 1917, aged 77; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record W. Shannon

    Corporal, New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 28 records for Shannon in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Shannon name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Shannon

    Died 1893 in Rotterdam, aged 33.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Doris Shannon

    Married in 1939 in 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Shannon in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Shannon name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Norah Isabel Hilda Shannon

    Born 1919 in Great Britain; died 1995 in Canet-en-Roussillon (Pyrénées-Orientales).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Shannon.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Shannon is.
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