Shannon (given name): Difference between revisions

Shannon
Pronunciation	/ˈʃænən/ SHAN-ən
Gender	Female (Ireland); Unisex (America, Australia)
Language(s)	Irish
Origin
Meaning	"wise river"
Region of origin	Ireland
Other names
Alternative spelling	Sionainn, Seanan, Siannon, Shannen, Shanon, Shannan
Variant form(s)	Shan, Shana, Shanna
Nickname(s)	Shan, Non
Derived	Sionainn

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Shannon is an Irish name, Anglicised from Sionainn. Alternative spellings include Shannen, Shanon, Shannan, Seanan, and Siannon. The variant Shanna is an Anglicisation of Sionna.

Sionainn derives from the Irish name Abha na tSionainn for the River Shannon. Because the suffix ain indicates a diminutive in Irish, the name is sometimes mistranslated as 'little wise one', but means 'possessor of wisdom'.

Some derive the denomination of Shannon (Irish: Sionnain) from the phrase sean-amhan or "old river."^[1] Another reported derivation is from Ó Seanaigh, "descendant of Seanach", which yielded the surnames Shanahan and Shannon.^[2]

Namesake

The name Sionainn alludes to Sionna, a goddess in Irish mythology whose name means 'possessor of wisdom'. She is the namesake and matron of Sionainn, the River Shannon. The Shannon is the longest river in Ireland^[3] and in the British Isles.^[4]

Sionainn is one of seven rivers of knowledge said to flow from Connla's Well, the well of wisdom in the Celtic Otherworld (the realm of the dead). Legends vary about the creation of the river, but they all recount the drowning of the Sionna, granddaughter of the great sea god Lir, usually at an undersea well. ^[5]

According to the legend, nine sacred hazel (or, by some accounts, rowan) trees grow near the well, and drop their bright red fruit in it and on the ground.^[6]^[7] In the well live the Salmon of Knowledge, whose wisdom comes from eating this fruit. By eating the fruit or one of the salmon, one can share in this wisdom.^[8]

Shortened forms

Shana and Shanna are familiar diminutives or forms of Shannon^[9] or Sionna.

Popularity

In the United States, the name first appeared on the Social Security Administration's list in 1881 for males.^[10] During the 1970s, American parents began to confer the name on boys and girls alike. It was during this time that the name's popularity peaked in the United States. In the 1990 United States Census, Shannon was the 317th most common name for American males.^{[citation needed]}

Women

Shannon (born 1958), American singer
Shannon Applegate, American historian
Shannon Ashlyn (born 1986), Australian actress
Shannon Aubert (born 1995), French golfer
Shannon Bahrke (born 1980), American freestyle skier
Shannon Baker (born 1980), New Zealand Rugby player
Shannon Barnett (born 1982), American composer
Shannon Bell (born 1955), Canadian performance philosopher
Shannon Beveridge (born 1992), American YouTube personality
Shannon Bex (born 1980), American singer
Shannon Birchard (born 1994), Canadian curler
Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod (born 1973), American politician
Shannon Bobbitt (born 1985), American basketball player
Shannon Bolin (1917–2016), American actress and singer
Shannon Boxx (born 1977), American soccer player
Shannon Bramer (born 1973), Canadian poet
Shannon Bream (born 1970), American journalist
Shannon Campbell (born 1996), Australian footballer
Shannon Cassidy (1961–1999), American voice actress
Shannon Chan-Kent (born 1988), Canadian voice actress
Shannon Click (born 1983), American model
Shannon Cochran (born 1958), American actress
Shannon Conley, American actress
Shannon Crawford (born 1963), Canadian rower
Shannon Cunneen (born 1977), Australian cricketer
Shannon Curfman (born 1985), American singer
Shannon Curtis, American dreampop singer
Shannon Dawdy (born 1967), American historian
Shannon Day (1896–1977), American actress
Shannon Delany, American author
Shannen Doherty (1971–2024), American actress
Shannon Elizabeth (born 1973), American actress
Shannon Flynn (born 1996), English actress
Shannon Galpin (born 1974), American film producer
Shannon Galpin (born 1974), American film producer
Shannon Gelson (born 1990), Irish-American Rugby player
Shannon Grove (born 1965), American politician
Shannon Hale (born 1974), American author
Shannon Jackson, American author and performance theorist
Shannon Kane (born 1986), American actress
Shannon Lee (born 1969), American actress and businesswoman
Shannon Lucid (born 1943), American biochemist and astronaut
Shannon Lynn (born 1985), Scottish footballer
Shannon Magrane (born 1995), American singer
Shannon Mato (born 1998), Australian rugby league player
Shannon McRandle (born 1969), American makeup artist and model
Shannon Miller (born 1977), American artistic gymnast
Shannon Murphy, Australian director
Shannon O'Neill (comedian), American comedian
Shannon O'Neill (politician) (born 1937), Canadian politician
Shannon Osika (born 1993), American middle-distance runner
Shannon Purser (born 1997), American actress
Shannon Ray (born 1995), American sprinter
Shannon Richardson (born 1977), American actress and convicted felon
Shannon Spruill (1975–2021), American professional wrestler, wrestling manager and actress performing as Daffney
Shannon C. Stimson (born 1951), American political theorist
Shannon Stubbs (born 1979), Canadian politician
Shannon Tweed (born 1957), Canadian actress
Shannon Walker (born 1965), American astronaut and physicist
Shannon Whirry, American actor
Shannon Arrum Williams (born 1998), Korean singer

Men

Shannon Bennett (born 1975), Australian chef and author
Shannon Birchall, Australian born musician
Shannon Blunt, American radar engineer
Shannon Boatman (born 1984), Canadian football player
Shannon Breen (born 1989), American football player
Shannon Boyd (born 1992), Australian football player
Shannon Boyd-Bailey McCune (1913–1993), American geographer
Shannon Briggs (born 1971), American professional boxer
Shannon Brown (born 1985), American Basketball player
Shannon Breen (born 1989), American football player
Shannon Clavelle (born 1973), American football player
Shannon Cole (born 1984), Australian NJ football player
Shannon Corcoran (born 1971), American football player
Shannon Culver (born 1971), Canadian football player
Shannon Dallas (born 1977), Australian skier
Shannon Denton, American storyteller
Shannon Hegarty (born 1979), Australian rugby league player
Richard Shannon Hoon, rock musician from Indiana
Shannon Leto (born 1970), American drummer
Shannon Mitchell (born 1972), American football player
Shannon Nevin (born 1976), Australian rugby league player
Shannon Noll (born 1975), Australian singer
Shannon Sharpe (born 1968), American football player
Shannon Charles Thomas (1971–2005), American murderer
Shannon Wakeman (born 1990), Australian rugby league player
Shannon Wheeler, American cartoonist
Shannon Zimmerman (born 1972), American politician

References

^ Wood, Thomas. An Inquiry concerning the Primitive Inhabitants of Ireland. London, 1821. 117. Print.
^ "Shannon Name Meaning & Origin". Baby Name Wizard. Retrieved 2019-02-26.
^ Campbell, Mike. "Shannon". Behind the Name. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ Cooper, Aiveen (2011). The River Shannon: A Journey Down Ireland's Longest River. Cork: Collins Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-84889-107-4. OCLC 751791624.
^ Bulik, Mark. The Sons of Molly Maguire: The Irish Roots of America's First Labor War. Fordham University Press, 2015. Print.
^ Domhnaill, Fadó. Tales of Lesser Known Irish History. Leicestershire, UK: Matador, 2013.
^ Fuchs, Elinor; Chaudhuri, Una, eds. (2002). Land/Scape/Theater. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-472-06720-6. OCLC 49618732. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
^ O'Grady, Standish (1878). History of Ireland: The Heroic Period. Library of English Literature. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington. OCLC 28088025.
^ Lansky, Bruce. 10,000 Baby Names. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1985. 65. Print.
^ popular name list

This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

[1] Wood, Thomas. An Inquiry concerning the Primitive Inhabitants of Ireland. London, 1821. 117. Print.

[2] "Shannon Name Meaning & Origin". Baby Name Wizard. Retrieved 2019-02-26.

[behindthename-3] Campbell, Mike. "Shannon". Behind the Name. Retrieved 7 October 2012.

[4] Cooper, Aiveen (2011). The River Shannon: A Journey Down Ireland's Longest River. Cork: Collins Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-84889-107-4. OCLC 751791624.

[5] Bulik, Mark. The Sons of Molly Maguire: The Irish Roots of America's First Labor War. Fordham University Press, 2015. Print.

[6] Domhnaill, Fadó. Tales of Lesser Known Irish History. Leicestershire, UK: Matador, 2013.

[7] Fuchs, Elinor; Chaudhuri, Una, eds. (2002). Land/Scape/Theater. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-472-06720-6. OCLC 49618732. Retrieved 7 October 2012.

[8] O'Grady, Standish (1878). History of Ireland: The Heroic Period. Library of English Literature. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington. OCLC 28088025.

[9] Lansky, Bruce. 10,000 Baby Names. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1985. 65. Print.

[10] ular name list

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Other uses|Shannon (disambiguation)}}
 {{Infobox given name
 | name          = Shannon
 | image         =
-| image_size    =
 | caption       =
-| pronunciation = SHAN-non
+| pronunciation = {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|æ|n|ən}} {{respell|SHAN-ən}}
-| gender        = Female (Ireland), Unisex (America, Australia)
+| gender        = Female (Ireland)<br/>Unisex (America, Australia)
 | meaning       = "wise river"
 | region        = [[Ireland]]
@@ Line 18: / Line 16: @@
 '''Shannon''' is an [[Irish language|Irish]] name, [[Anglicised]] from '''Sionainn'''. Alternative spellings include Shannen, Shanon, Shannan, Seanan, and Siannon. The variant [[Shana (disambiguation)|Shanna]] is an Anglicisation of Sionna.
-''Sionainn'' derives from the Irish name ''Abha na tSionainn'' for the [[River Shannon]], the longest river in the [[British Isles]].<ref name="behindthename">{{cite web |url=http://www.behindthename.com/name/shannon |title=Shannon |last=Campbell |first=Mike |work=Behind the Name |access-date=7 October 2012}}</ref> Because the suffix ''ain'' indicates a [[diminutive]] in Irish, the name is sometimes mistranslated as 'little wise one', but means 'possessor of wisdom'.
+''Sionainn'' derives from the Irish name ''Abha na tSionainn'' for the [[River Shannon]]. Because the suffix ''ain'' indicates a [[diminutive]] in Irish, the name is sometimes mistranslated as 'little wise one', but means 'possessor of wisdom'.
-Some derive the denomination of Shannon ([[Irish language|Irish]]: Sionnain) from the phrase ''sean-amhan'' or "old river."<ref>Wood, Thomas. An Inquiry concerning the Primitive Inhabitants of Ireland. London, 1821. 117. Print.</ref> Another reported derivation is from ''Ó Seanaigh,'' "descendant of Seanach," which yielded the surnames Shanahan and Shannon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/boy/shannon|title=Shannon Name Meaning & Origin|website=Baby Name Wizard|language=en|access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref>
+Some derive the denomination of Shannon ([[Irish language|Irish]]: Sionnain) from the phrase ''sean-amhan'' or "old river."<ref>Wood, Thomas. An Inquiry concerning the Primitive Inhabitants of Ireland. London, 1821. 117. Print.</ref> Another reported derivation is from ''Ó Seanaigh,'' "descendant of Seanach", which yielded the surnames Shanahan and Shannon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/boy/shannon|title=Shannon Name Meaning & Origin|website=Baby Name Wizard|language=en|access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref>
 ==Namesake==
-The name ''Sionainn'' alludes to Sionna, a goddess in [[Irish mythology]] whose name means 'possessor of wisdom'. She is the [[namesake]] and matron of Sionainn, the [[River Shannon]]. The Shannon is the longest river in the [[British Isles]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The River Shannon: A Journey Down Ireland's Longest River |first=Aiveen |last=Cooper |publisher=Collins Press |location=[[Cork (city)|Cork]] |date=2011 |isbn=9781848891074 |oclc=751791624 |page=6 }}</ref>
+The name ''Sionainn'' alludes to Sionna, a goddess in [[Irish mythology]] whose name means 'possessor of wisdom'. She is the [[namesake]] and matron of Sionainn, the [[River Shannon]]. The Shannon is the longest river in [[Ireland]]<ref name="behindthename">{{cite web |last=Campbell |first=Mike |title=Shannon |url=http://www.behindthename.com/name/shannon |access-date=7 October 2012 |work=Behind the Name}}</ref> and in the [[British Isles]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The River Shannon: A Journey Down Ireland's Longest River |first=Aiveen |last=Cooper |publisher=Collins Press |location=[[Cork (city)|Cork]] |date=2011 |isbn=978-1-84889-107-4 |oclc=751791624 |page=6 }}</ref>
 Sionainn is one of seven rivers of knowledge said to flow from [[Connla's Well]], the well of wisdom in the [[Celtic Otherworld]] (the realm of the dead). Legends vary about the creation of the river, but they all recount the drowning of the Sionna, granddaughter of the great sea god [[Ler (mythology)|Lir]], usually at an undersea well. <ref>Bulik, Mark. The Sons of Molly Maguire: The Irish Roots of America's First Labor War. Fordham University Press, 2015. Print.</ref>
-According to the legend, nine sacred [[hazel]] (or, by some accounts, [[rowan]]) trees grow near the well, and drop their bright red fruit in it and on the ground.<ref>Domhnaill, Fadó. ''Tales of Lesser Known Irish History''. Leicestershire, UK: Matador, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Land/Scape/Theater |editor-last=Fuchs |editor-first=Elinor |editor2-last=Chaudhuri |editor2-first=Una |year=2002 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |location=[[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]] |isbn=0-472-06720-6 |oclc=49618732 |page=65 |access-date=7 October 2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d3HxzFOvLCcC&pg=PA65}}</ref> In the well live the [[Salmon of Knowledge]], whose wisdom comes from eating this fruit. By eating the fruit or one of the salmon, one can share in this wisdom.<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Ireland: The Heroic Period |last=O'Grady |first=Standish |author-link=Standish James O'Grady |year=1878 |publisher=Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington |location=[[London]] |oclc=28088025 |series=Library of English Literature }}</ref>
+According to the legend, nine sacred [[hazel]] (or, by some accounts, [[rowan]]) trees grow near the well, and drop their bright red fruit in it and on the ground.<ref>Domhnaill, Fadó. ''Tales of Lesser Known Irish History''. Leicestershire, UK: Matador, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Land/Scape/Theater |editor-last=Fuchs |editor-first=Elinor |editor2-last=Chaudhuri |editor2-first=Una |year=2002 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |location=[[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]] |isbn=0-472-06720-6 |oclc=49618732 |page=65 |access-date=7 October 2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d3HxzFOvLCcC&pg=PA65}}</ref> In the well live the [[Salmon of Knowledge]], whose wisdom comes from eating this fruit. By eating the fruit or one of the salmon, one can share in this wisdom.<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Ireland: The Heroic Period |last=O'Grady |first=Standish |author-link=Standish James O'Grady |year=1878 |publisher=Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington |location=London |oclc=28088025 |series=Library of English Literature }}</ref>
 ==Shortened forms==
@@ Line 33: / Line 31: @@
 ==Popularity==
-In the [[United States]], the name first appeared on the [[Social Security Administration]]'s in 1881 for males.<ref>[http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ popular name list]</ref> It later gained popularity as a feminine name in 1937. During the 1970s, American parents began to confer the name on boys and girls alike. It was during this time that the name's popularity peaked in the United States. In the 1990 [[United States Census]], ''Shannon'' was the 317th most common name for American males.
+In the United States, the name first appeared on the [[Social Security Administration]]'s list in 1881 for males.<ref>[http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ popular name list]</ref> During the 1970s, American parents began to confer the name on boys and girls alike. It was during this time that the name's popularity peaked in the United States. In the 1990 [[United States Census]], ''Shannon'' was the 317th most common name for American males.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}
-Irish emigrants may have popularized the name due to their nostalgia for Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dochara.com/the-irish/first-names/traditional-irish-girls-names-a-c/|title=Traditional Irish Girls' Names: A-C|date=2008-11-30|website=www.dochara.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref>
 ==Women==
 * [[Shannon (American singer)|Shannon]] (born 1958), American singer
 * [[Shannon Applegate]], American historian
-* [[Shannon Ashlyn]] (born 1986), Australian Actress
+* [[Shannon Ashlyn]] (born 1986), Australian actress
 * [[Shannon Aubert]] (born 1995), French golfer
 * [[Shannon Bahrke]] (born 1980), American freestyle skier
@@ Line 46: / Line 42: @@
 * [[Shannon Barnett]] (born 1982), American composer
 * [[Shannon Bell]] (born 1955), Canadian performance philosopher
-* [[Shannon Beveridge]] (born 1992), American [[YouTube]] personality
+* [[Shannon Beveridge]] (born 1992), American YouTube personality
 * [[Shannon Bex]] (born 1980), American singer
 * [[Shannon Birchard]] (born 1994), Canadian curler
@@ Line 68: / Line 64: @@
 * [[Shannon Day]] (1896–1977), American actress
 * [[Shannon Delany]], American author
-* [[Shannen Doherty]] (born 1971), American actress
+* [[Shannen Doherty]] (1971–2024), American actress
 * [[Shannon Elizabeth]] (born 1973), American actress
 * [[Shannon Flynn]] (born 1996), English actress
 * [[Shannon Galpin]] (born 1974), American film producer
+* [[Shannon Galpin]] (born 1974), American film producer
+* [[Shannon Gelson]] (born 1990), Irish-American Rugby player
 * [[Shannon Grove]] (born 1965), American politician
 * [[Shannon Hale]] (born 1974), American author
@@ Line 77: / Line 75: @@
 * [[Shannon Kane]] (born 1986), American actress
 * [[Shannon Lee]] (born 1969), American actress and businesswoman
-* [[Shannon Lucid]] (born 1943) American biochemist and astronaut
+* [[Shannon Lucid]] (born 1943), American biochemist and astronaut
 * [[Shannon Lynn]] (born 1985), Scottish footballer
 * [[Shannon Magrane]] (born 1995), American singer
@@ Line 84: / Line 82: @@
 * [[Shannon Miller]] (born 1977), American artistic gymnast
 * [[Shannon Murphy]], Australian director
+* [[Shannon O'Neill (comedian)]], American comedian
+* [[Shannon O'Neill (politician)]] (born 1937), Canadian politician
+* [[Shannon Osika]] (born 1993), American middle-distance runner
 * [[Shannon Purser]] (born 1997), American actress
+* [[Shannon Ray]] (born 1995), American sprinter
 * [[Shannon Richardson]] (born 1977), American actress and convicted felon
+* [[Shannon Spruill]] (1975–2021), American professional wrestler, wrestling manager and actress performing as Daffney
 * [[Shannon C. Stimson]] (born 1951), American political theorist
 * [[Shannon Stubbs]] (born 1979), Canadian politician
-* [[Shannon Tweed]], (born 1957), Canadian actress
+* [[Shannon Tweed]] (born 1957), Canadian actress
 * [[Shannon Walker]] (born 1965), American astronaut and physicist
-* [[Shannon Arrum Williams]] (born 1998), Korean singer
-* [[Shannon Webb]] (born 1999), American theatre manager
 * [[Shannon Whirry]], American actor
+* [[Shannon Arrum Williams]] (born 1998), Korean singer
 ==Men==
 * [[Shannon Bennett]] (born 1975), Australian chef and author
 * [[Shannon Birchall]], Australian born musician
-* [[Shannon Boatman]] (born 1984),  Canadian football player
+* [[Shannon Blunt]], American radar engineer
+* [[Shannon Boatman]] (born 1984), Canadian football player
 * [[Shannon Breen]] (born 1989), American football player
-* [[Shannon Boyd]], (born 1992), Australian football player
+* [[Shannon Boyd]] (born 1992), Australian football player
 * [[Shannon Boyd-Bailey McCune]] (1913–1993), American geographer
-* [[Shannon Briggs]] (born 1971),  American professional boxer
+* [[Shannon Briggs]] (born 1971), American professional boxer
 * [[Shannon Brown]] (born 1985), American Basketball player
 * [[Shannon Breen]] (born 1989), American football player
@@ Line 111: / Line 114: @@
 * [[Shannon Denton]], American storyteller
 * [[Shannon Hegarty]] (born 1979), Australian rugby league player
-* [[Richard Shannon Hoon]], rock musician from [[Indiana]]
+* [[Richard Shannon Hoon]], rock musician from Indiana
 * [[Shannon Leto]] (born 1970), American drummer
 * [[Shannon Mitchell]] (born 1972), American football player
@@ Line 129: / Line 132: @@
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
+{{Given name}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon (given name)}}