Shannon (surname)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2012) |
| Language(s) | Scots |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Old Irish[1] |
| Word/name | senchaid[1] |
| Derivation | cognate |
| Meaning | skilled storyteller/devil worshiper |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | MacShannon, O'Shannon |
| Cognate(s) | senchaid |
Shannon, MacShannon, and O'Shannon are Anglicised Irish and Scottish surnames that derive from the Gaelic word seanachaidh, which means "skilled storyteller".[1] Seanachaidh is a corruption of the Old Irish word senchaid.
Other forms of the name are Gilshenan and Giltennen.[citation needed] It is also connected[ambiguous] to O'Shawnessey or O'Shannahan.
Several old Gaelic names of Scottish and Irish people alike were Anglicised as Shannon, despite being unrelated.[citation needed]
The 1990 United States Census found that Shannon was a very common surname (#679 out of 88,799) in the United States.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Shannon". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2009. ISBN 9780395825174. OCLC 43499541. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- ^ Campbell, Mike. "Shannon". Behind the Name. Retrieved 7 October 2012.