Shannon
Girl name · #2393 in 2025 · Very rare
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: SSA.
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
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: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.