Shannon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The surname Shannon is originally a name that appeared in Gaelic as Ó Seanachain, which is derived from the word "sean," meaning "old."

Early Origins of the Shannon family

The surname Shannon was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Shannon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shannon research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1318, 1802, 1863, 1877, 1916 and 1937 are included under the topic Early Shannon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shannon Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The many regional dialects and the predominate illiteracy would have made common surnames appear unrelated to the scribes of the period. Research into the name Shannon revealed spelling variations, including Shanahan, O'Shanahan, Shahan, Shannon, Gilshenan and many more.

Early Notables of the Shannon family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Shannon World Ranking

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


Shannon migration to the United States +

Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name Shannon:

Shannon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Shannon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Shannon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Shannon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Shannon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Shannon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Shannon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

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

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

Contemporary Notables of the name Shannon (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Shannon +
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