Unisex name · since 1912
Shannon
Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 295,782 babies named Shannon, peaking in 1970. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #130 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #2,393 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 295,782
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shannon currently ranks #2393 among unisex names in America, with 295,782 babies recorded since 1912.
Social Security Administration records show Shannon recorded 295,782 times among girls since 1912, holding rank #2393 nationally today, ahead of 86% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #130 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #2,393 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 295,782 born since 1912
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shannon ranks #130 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,393 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 295,782 born since 1912, peaking in the 1970s.
- #130 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #2,393 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 295,782
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shannon's 295,782 recorded births place it above 99.82% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Shannon compares
295,782 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Shannon's all-time total is 787x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shannon | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 295,782 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 13,547 | 21 | 19,840 |
Shannon's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shannon's SSA record in two at 1972 and the more recent half accounts for 77% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 23%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1912, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1970 peak of 13,547, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shannon popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1970)
- 13,547
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Shannon popularity over time - boys
52,379 total births recorded since 1881 (Shannon as boys' name)
Shannon by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (113,793 births, 38% of the file).
1970s was Shannon's strongest decade.
113,793 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Shannon births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 15
1910s
15 births
- 1920s 112
1920s
112 births
- 1930s 372
1930s
372 births
- 1940s 1,557
1940s
1,557 births
- 1950s 6,100
1950s
6,100 births
- 1960s 33,850
1960s
33,850 births
- 1970s
1970s
113,793 births
- 1980s
1980s
78,420 births
- 1990s
1990s
45,912 births
- 2000s 12,458
2000s
12,458 births
- 2010s 2,586
2010s
2,586 births
- 2020s 607
2020s
607 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 113,793 births (38% of all-time use).
How Shannon compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Shannon's total volume
Shannon by state
Where Shannon concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 32,634 | 11.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 17,278 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 16,352 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 14,696 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 14,611 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 13,451 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 12,514 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Florida | | 12,480 | 4.2% |
32,634 of 295,782 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Shannon appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shannon? ▼
Where does Shannon sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shannon most popular? ▼
Where is Shannon most popular? ▼
Is Shannon a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Shannon been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shannon? ▼
What to do with Shannon's data
- Shannon's decade-level peak was the 1970s (113,793 total births); usage has since declined to 607 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shannons (32,634 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shannon
Nearby Names Like Shannon
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shannon
Compare Shannon side by side: Shannon vs Sharon Shannon vs Shawna Shannon vs Shari
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shannon
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shannon: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~113 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Shannon draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.