Shannon ("old river") is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

name,

Anglicised Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

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 The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

. Because the suffix ''ain'' indicates a

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

in Irish, the name is sometimes mistranslated as 'little wise one', but means 'possessor of wisdom'. Some derive the denomination of Shannon (

: Sionnain) from the phrase ''sean-amhan'' or "old river." Another reported derivation is from ''Ó Seanaigh,'' "descendant of Seanach," which yielded the surnames Shanahan and Shannon.

Namesake

The name ''Sionainn'' alludes to Sionna, a goddess in

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...

whose name means 'possessor of wisdom'. She is the

namesake A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another. History The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake", which originates in English Bible translations ...

and matron of Sionainn, the

. The Shannon is the longest river in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. Sionainn is one of seven rivers of knowledge said to flow from

Connla's Well The ''Dindsenchas'' of Irish mythology give the physical origins, and etymological source of several bodies of water - in these myth poems the sources of rivers and lakes is sometimes given as being from magical wells. Connla's Well is one of a n ...

, the well of wisdom in the

Celtic Otherworld In Celtic mythology, the Otherworld is the realm of the deities and possibly also the dead. In Gaelic and Brittonic myth it is usually a supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy.Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A ...

(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 Lir or Ler (meaning "Sea" in Old Irish; ''Ler'' and ''Lir'' are the nominative and genitive forms, respectively) is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is na ...

, usually at an undersea well. According to the legend, nine sacred

hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

(or, by some accounts,

rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus ''Sorbus'' is a genus of over 100 species of trees and shrubs in the rose family, Rosaceae. Species of ''Sorbus'' (''s.l.'') are commonly known as whitebeam, r ...

) trees grow near the well, and drop their bright red fruit in it and on the ground. In the well live the

Salmon of Knowledge The Salmon of Knowledge ( ga, An Bradán Feasa) is a creature in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, sometimes identified with Fintan mac Bóchra, who was known as "The Wise" and was once transformed into a salmon. Fenian Cycle The Salmon sto ...

, whose wisdom comes from eating this fruit. By eating the fruit or one of the salmon, one can share in this wisdom.

Shortened forms

Shana and Shanna are familiar diminutives or forms of Shannon or Sionna.

Popularity

In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the name first appeared on the

Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...

's in 1881 for males. 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. Irish emigrants may have popularized the name due to their nostalgia for Ireland. After ''Shannon'' became a popular unisex name in the United States, Irish parents, too, began to give newborn boys this name.

Women

Shannon Applegate Shannon Applegate is an American author, lecturer, and historian from the state of Oregon. Her works include ''Skookum: An Oregon Pioneer Family's History and Lore'' (1988) and ''Living Among Headstones: Life in a Country Cemetery'' (2005). She is ...

, American historian *

Shannon Ashlyn Shannon Ashlyn (born 20 February 1986) is a film and television actress, writer and director, known for her roles in the Australian horror film '' Wolf Creek 2'', the Australian television series '' Love Child'' and the film ''Zelos''. In 2018, ...

(born 1990), Australian Actress *

Shannon Bahrke Shannon Bahrke (born November 7, 1980) is an American Olympic freestyle skier and entrepreneur. Bahrke was the silver medalist in Moguls at the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City and went on to become the 2003 World Cup Champion. She ...

(born 1980), American freestyle skier *

Shannon Baker Shannon Baker (born 30 January 1980) is a New Zealand-born English rugby union player. She played for at the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup The 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup (officially IRB Rugby World Cup 2006 Canada) took place in Edmonton, ...

(born 1980), New Zealand Rugby player *

Shannon Barnett Shannon Barnett (born 1982) is an Australian trombonist and composer who was named Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2007 Australian Jazz Bell Awards.Shannon Bell Shannon Bell (born 5 July 1955) is a Canadian performance philosopher who lives and writes philosophy-in-action, experimental philosophy. Bell is also professor and graduate programme director in the York University Political Science Departme ...

(born 1955), Canadian performance philosopher *

Shannon Berry ''Hunters'' is an American television drama series that aired on Syfy, created by Natalie Chaidez and executive produced by Chaidez, Emile Levisetti and Gale Anne Hurd. Based on Whitley Strieber’s best-selling novel ''Alien Hunter'', the series ...

, American actress *

Shannon Beveridge Shannon Beveridge (born March 19, 1992) is an American YouTuber, actress, photographer and LGBT advocate. Born in Texas, she started her YouTube channel, nowthisisliving', in 2012 and now has over 600,000 subscribers. In 2017, she won the best L ...

(born 1992), American

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

r *

Shannon Bex Shannon Rae Bex (born March 22, 1980) is an American singer, reality show personality, professional dancer, and co-founder of Vooks. the world's first streaming platform for children's storybooks. She was also a member of girl group Danity Kan ...

(born 1980), American singer *

Shannon Birchard Shannon Birchard (born May 11, 1994) is a Canadian curling, curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She currently plays Second (curling), second on Team Kerri Einarson from Gimli, Manitoba. Currently, the Einarson team are the four-time reigning Scotties ...

(born 1994), Canadian curler * Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod (born 1973), American politician *

Shannon Bobbitt Shannon Denise Bobbitt
''wnba.com'', accessed . (born December 6, 1985) is an American professional basketb ...

(born 1985), American basketball player *

Shannon Bolin Shannon Bolin (January 1, 1917 – March 25, 2016) was an American actress and singer. A March 10, 1941, article in The Mason City Globe-Gazette said that she was "known as 'The Lady with the Dark Blue Voice'". Early years Ione Shannon Bolin was ...

(1917–2016), American actress and singer *

Shannon Boxx Shannon Leigh Boxx Spearman (; born June 29, 1977) is an American retired soccer player and former member of the United States women's national soccer team, playing the defensive midfielder position. She last played club soccer for the Chicago Re ...

(born 1977), American soccer player * Shannon Bramer (born 1973), Canadian poet *

Shannon Bream Shannon Noelle Bream ( DePuy; born December 23, 1970) is an American journalist and attorney who appears on Fox News Channel. In 2022 she became the host of the program ''Fox News Sunday''. Prior to hosting Fox News Sunday she was the host of ...

(born 1970), American journalist *

Shannon Brown (musician) Shannon Leigh Brown (born July 23, 1973) is an American country music singer from Spirit Lake, Iowa. Although she has recorded three albums on various labels, only one of these – 2006's '' Corn Fed'' — was released. In her career, she has ...

(born 1973), American singer * Shannon Campbell (born 1996), Australian footballer * Shannon Cassidy (1961–1999), American voice actress *

Shannon Chan-Kent Shannon Chan-Kent (born September 23, 1988) is a Canadian voice and stage actress. She is known for her roles as Silver Spoon and Smolder and the singing voice of Pinkie Pie in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', Misa Amane in the English ...

(born 1988), Canadian voice actress * Shannon Click (born 1983), American model * Shannon Cochran (born 1958), American actress *

Shannon Conley Shannon Conley (also credited as Sonny Dey, Holly Bobbit, Ursula Conlon, Vibe Jones, Candi Washington and Deborah Zane) is an American voice actress and musician based in New York City. She has done voice work in English dubs of Japanese anime for ...

, American actress *

Shannon Crawford Shannon Crawford (born September 12, 1963 in Guelph, Ontario) is a Canadian rower. She won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), of ...

(born 1963), Canadian rower * Shannon Cunneen (born 1977), Australian cricketer *

Shannon Curfman Shannon Marie Curfman (born July 31, 1985, Fargo, North Dakota) is an American blues-rock guitarist and singer. Career She came to prominence in 1999, at the age of 14, with the release of her first album, ''Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions'', whi ...

(born 1985), American singer * Shannon Curtis, American dreampop singer * Shannon Dawdy (born 1967), American historian *

Shannon Day Shannon Day (born Sylvia Day; August 5, 1896 – February 24, 1977) was an American silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative ...

(1896–1977), American silent-film actress * Shannon Delany, American author *

Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...

, American actress *

Shannon Elizabeth Shannon Elizabeth Fadal (born September 7, 1973) is an American actress, conservationist, animal activist, model and poker player. A popular sex symbol and teen idol of the 1990s and 2000s, Elizabeth is best known for her roles in the films '' A ...

(born 1973), American actress *

Shannon Flynn Shannon Flynn (born 22 August 1996) is an English actress and presenter from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, who is best known for appearing in ''Friday Download as well as Emily James in the BBC school-based drama, ''Waterloo Road''., and had ...

(born 1996), English actress *

, American director * Shannon Brenda Greene (born 1958), stage name Shannon, American singer *

Shannon Grove Shannon Lee Grove (née Cain; born March 18, 1965) is an American politician, who represents the 12th State Senate district, encompassing the southern Central Valley and parts of the High Desert. A Republican, she served as the minority leader ...

(born 1965), American politician from California * Shannon Jackson, American performance theorist, author of the 2004 book ''Professing Performativity'' *

Shannon Lucid Shannon Wells Lucid (born January 14, 1943) is an American biochemist and retired NASA astronaut. At one time, she held the record for the longest duration stay in space by an American and by a woman. She has flown in space five times including ...

(born 1943) American biochemist and astronaut *

Shannon Lynn Shannon Lynn (born 22 October 1985) is a Canadian-born Scottish female international football goalkeeper who plays in the Swedish Damallsvenskan for Vittsjö GIK. She has previously played in the North American W-League for Fort Wayne Fever an ...

(born 1985), Scottish footballer *

Shannon Magrane Shannon Renee' Magrane (born October 21, 1995) is an American singer from Tampa, Florida, who finished in eleventh place on the eleventh season of ''American Idol.'' Early life Her father is former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and former Tampa ...

(born 1995), performer on ''American Idol'' * Shannon McRandle (born 1969), model and makeup artist * Shannon Ashley Mitchell (born 1987), Canadian actress, model, entrepreneur and author * Shannon Spruill (born 1975), American professional wrestler, manager, and actor better known as

Daffney Shannon Claire Spruill (July 17, 1975 – September 1, 2021) was an American professional wrestler, wrestling manager and actress better known by her ring name Daffney. Daffney began her professional wrestling career in World Championship Wre ...

* Shannon C. Stimson (born 1951), American political theorist *

Shannon Tweed Shannon Lee Tweed Simmons (born March 10, 1957) is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller. Tweed has appeared in more than 60 films and in ...

, (born 1957), Canadian actress *

Shannon Walker Shannon Walker (born June 4, 1965) is an American physicist and a NASA astronaut selected in 2004. She launched on her first mission into space on June 25, 2010, onboard Soyuz TMA-19 and spent over 163 days in space. She returned to space for ...

(born 1965), American physicist and astronaut * Shannon Arrum Williams (born 1998), Korean pop singer * Shannon Webb (born 1999), American theatre manager *

Shannon Whirry Shannon Whirry is an American actress. Career A native from Green Lake, Wisconsin, where she was the salutatorian of her 1983 high school graduating class, in 1985 Whirry was accepted to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, one of onl ...

, American actor

Men

Shannon Bennett Shannon Bennett (born 23 November 1975) is an Australian chef and author. He is best known as the head chef of restaurant Vue de Monde at Melbourne's Rialto Tower. Bennett currently serves as the creative director at the restaurant and its pare ...

(born 1975), Australian chef and author *

Shannon Birchall Shannon Birchall is an Australian born musician, probably best known as the bassist for jam band the John Butler Trio. Birchall is often labeled a virtuoso by different music experts. He is also known for composing and conducting the string sec ...

, Australian born musician * Shannon Boatman (born 1984), Canadian football player *

Shannon Breen Shannon Breen (born March 16, 1989) is an American football center who is a free agent. He played college football at West Virginia Wesleyan. He has been a member of the Milwaukee Mustangs, Green Bay Blizzard, Cleveland Gladiators, Montreal ...

(born 1989), American football player * Shannon Boyd, (born 1992), Australian football player * Shannon Boyd-Bailey McCune (1913–1993), American geographer *

Shannon Briggs Shannon Briggs (born December 4, 1971) is an American former professional boxer. He is a two-time heavyweight champion, having held the lineal heavyweight championship from 1997 to 1998, and the WBO title from 2006 to 2007. Briggs is known for h ...

(born 1971), American professional boxer *

Shannon Brown Shannon Brown (born November 29, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2003, and played college basketball for Michigan State ...

(born 1985), American Basketball player *

(born 1989), American football player *

Shannon Clavelle Shannon Lynn Clavelle (born October 12, 1973) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at the University of Colorado under ...

(born 1973), American football player *

Shannon Cole Shannon Cole (born 4 August 1984) is a former professional footballer turned coach. Club career Cole's early football career saw a series of stints with NSW state league clubs, in particular APIA Leichhardt, Dulwich Hill, Rockdale City Suns an ...

(born 1984), Australian NJ football player *

Shannon Corcoran Shannon Corcoran (born 22 February 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray, the Brisbane Bears The Brisbane Football Club, nicknamed the Bears, was a professional Australian rules football club based in Q ...

(born 1971), American football player * Shannon Culver (born 1971), Canadian football player * Shannon Dallas (born 1977), Australian skier *

Shannon Denton Shannon Eric Denton is an American veteran storyteller and artist with credits at Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., Jerry Bruckheimer Films, NBC, Disney, Sony, ToyBiz, Marvel Entertainment, Fox Kids, Paramount Pictures, CBS, Dimension Films, DC Comi ...

, American storyteller * Richard Shannon Hoon, rock musician from

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Shannon Leto Shannon Leto (; born March 9, 1970) is an American musician best known as the drummer of rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He co-founded the group in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, with his younger brother Jared. Their debut album, ''30 Seco ...

(born 1970), American drummer *

Shannon Mitchell Shannon Lamont Mitchell (born March 28, 1972) is a former American football tight end who played four seasons with the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Georgia and attended ...

(born 1972), American football player *

Shannon Noll Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as runner-up of the first season of ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, which led to him being signed to Sony BMG. He has released five top ten albu ...

(born 1975), Australian singer *

Shannon Sharpe Shannon Sharpe (born June 26, 1968) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he ranks th ...

(born 1968), American football player *

Shannon Charles Thomas Keith Bernard Clay (February 18, 1968 – March 20, 2003) and Shannon Charles Thomas (July 27, 1971 – November 16, 2005) were American murderers who killed a total of four people between December 1993 and January 1994. Thomas was convicted of ...

(1971–2005), American murderer *

Shannon Wheeler Shannon Wheeler is an American cartoonist, best known as a cartoonist for ''The New Yorker'' and for creating the satirical superhero Too Much Coffee Man. Early life Shannon Wheeler grew up in Berkeley, California, brought up by his mother. His ...

, American cartoonist * Shannon Zimmerman (born 1972), American politician

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon (given name) English unisex given names English-language unisex given names Irish unisex given names Irish-language unisex given names

Namesake

Shortened forms

Popularity

Women

Men

See also

References