Contents [hide]

Shannon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Shannon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Originally, Shannon was a nickname for a person noted as possessing great wisdom, or an elderly person. The surname is derived from the Irish Gaelic name O Seanain, which comes from the word sean, which has the double meaning of old and wise.

Early Origins of the Shannon family

The surname Shannon was first found in Kintyre, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Shannon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shannon research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1548 is included under the topic Early Shannon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shannon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Shannon has appeared in various documents spelled Shannon, Shennan, Shennane and others.

Early Notables of the Shannon family

More information is included under the topic Early Shannon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shannon World Ranking

In the United States, the name Shannon is the 679^th most popular surname with an estimated 42,279 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Shannon is ranked the 944^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,749 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Shannon is the 637^th popular surname with an estimated 6,111 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Shannon as 951^st with 786 people. 4

Migration of the Shannon family to Ireland

Some of the Shannon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shannon migration to the United States +

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Shannon, or a variant listed above:

Shannon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lakall Shannon, who arrived in Virginia in 1695 5
William Shannon, who landed in Virginia in 1698 5

Shannon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Shannon, who arrived in America in 1742
James Shannon, who arrived in Boston in 1764
Luke Shannon, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1765 5

Shannon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bridget Shannon, aged 40, who landed in Massachusetts in 1813 5
Robert Shannon, who arrived in New York in 1813 5
Bridget Shannon, who was on record in Massachusetts in 1813
David Shannon, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 5
Hugh Shannon, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shannon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Robert Ross Shannon, who landed in New York in 1912 5

Shannon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shannon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Lieut. Daniel Shannon U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 6
Mr. David Shannon U.E. who settled in Ancaster Township, Wentworth County [Ancaster], Ontario c. 1784 he enlisted in 1777 on Secret Service 6

Shannon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

B Shannon, who arrived in Canada in 1812
Rosy Shannon, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Forth" in 1833
Charles Shannon, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
James Shannon, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
Mr. Andrew Shannon, aged 44 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Elizabeth" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shannon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Shannon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Shannon, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. John Shannon, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. William Shannon, (b. 1806), aged 25, English shoe maker who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Miss Jane Shannon, (b. 1812), aged 20, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 14th July 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died on board in 1832 11
Mr. Henry Shannon, (Richard), (b. 1816), aged 16, English tailor's boy who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1854 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Shannon migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Shannon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Helen Shannon, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Michael Shannon, aged 30, a gardener, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cuba" in 1840
Florence Shannon, aged 32, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 13
Sarah Shannon, aged 1, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adelaide" in 1858 13
Mrs. Agnes Shannon, (b. 1832), aged 32, Scottish settler from Lanarkshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 22nd October 1864 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Shannon (post 1700) +

Bob Shannon (1948-2023), born Don Bombard, an American radio disc jockey best known for his work on WCBS-FM in New York City
Thomas Michael "Mike" Shannon (1939-2023), American Major League Baseball third baseman and right fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1962 to 1970, and then worked as a Cardinals radio broadcaster from 1972 to 2021
Preston Shannon (1947-2018), American electric blues and soul blues guitarist from Olive Branch, Mississippi
Thomas Alfred "Tom" Shannon Jr. (b. 1958), American diplomat, acting United States Secretary of State until the confirmation of U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee, Rex Tillerson
Jeff Shannon (1961-2013), American film critic
Michael Corbett Shannon (b. 1974), American stage, film, and television actor nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2008
Bill Shannon (1941-2010), American author and baseball historian
William Vincent Shannon (1927-1988), former editor of the New York Times and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland
Terry Craig Shannon (1952-2005), American information technology consultant, journalist and author
Richard Shannon (b. 1954), American writer, performer and speaker
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Shannon family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Edward Shannon, British Fireman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 15
Mr. Francis Joseph Shannon, British Assistant Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 15

HMS Hood

Mr. John D Shannon (b. 1915), Australian Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Australian Navy Volunteer Reserve from Buranda, Queensland, Australia, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 16

USS Arizona

Mr. William Alfred Shannon, American Seaman First Class from Idaho, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 17

The Shannon Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Virtute Duce
Motto Translation: With virtue for guide.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 55)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fanny
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Shadow Time Settlers (Retrieved 5th November 2010), retrieved from http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/settlers.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html