# Shannon (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/shannon/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

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

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Irish |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 46,147 |
| US rank (2010) | 752 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 6,690 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.8% (44,902 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈʃænən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Borrowed from Irish Sionainn.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Shannon in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 75% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 2.0% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Shannon in the United States.

## People named Shannon

- Claude Shannon, American mathematician and information theorist (1916–2001)
- Michael Shannon, American actor
- Molly Shannon, American actress and comedian (born 1964)
- Peggy Shannon, American actress (1907–1941)
- Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., American diplomat (born 1958)
- Ethel Shannon, actress (1898-1951)
- Harry Shannon, American actor (1890–1964)
- Terrence Shannon Jr., American basketball player (born 2000)
- Tommy Shannon, American bass guitarist
- Wilson Shannon, American politician (Democrat)
- Effie Shannon, American actress (1867-1954)
- Howie Shannon, American basketball player (1923-1995)

and 4 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Shanahan, Sanon, Shamoon, Simon, Seaman, Shuman, Simone, Schumann, Schuman, Samano, Simeone, Simeon.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.