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Shannon Family History

Shannon Surname Meaning

Irish:: shortened form of Shanahan. Shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Seanáin ‘descendant of Seanán’ a personal name based on a pet form of seán ‘old’. This Irish surname became established in Scotland in the 14th century.

In County Clare, a shortened Anglicized form of Mac Giolla tSeanáin ‘son of the servant of St. Seanán’.

In the Irish midlands, Leonard and Nugent have been adopted as equivalents of this name.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Shannon family from?

You can see how Shannon families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shannon family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shannon families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 594 Shannon families living in Ontario. This was about 55% of all the recorded Shannon's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Shannon families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shannon surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Shannon ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Shannon. 36% of Shannon men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Shannon women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shannon were Clerk and Income.

View Census Data for Shannon | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    36%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    14%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Income
    8%

What Shannon family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 282,000 census records available for the last name Shannon. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shannon census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shannon

Passenger Lists

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Shannon. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Shannon immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 54,000 military records available for the last name Shannon. For the veterans among your Shannon ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shannon military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shannon family history

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What is the average Shannon lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Shannon life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Shannon in 1942 was 36, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shannon

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shannon ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shannon family tree

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