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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Shannon

33 replies

thetallestbuildinginnewyorkis · 02/01/2011 10:00

What do you think of this name? it doesnt seem to be popular these days? also, my dp is Irish so there would be that connection. I love it.

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tebbles · 02/01/2011 10:40

It is less common now but I dont think it is dated. I think it would fit well in with other names ending with 'n'.

pinguwings · 02/01/2011 10:52

The Sharon of 15 years ago, sorry but really don't like it

Nightstar · 02/01/2011 14:29

I'm sorry, I think it's really chavtastic

Nightstar · 02/01/2011 14:29

There are so many nicer beautiful irish names

crystalglasses · 02/01/2011 14:31

Unfortunately it reminds me of that false child abduction case a year or so ago

reikizen · 02/01/2011 14:33

nope, it makes me think of Shannon Matthews too

AnnOnimous · 02/01/2011 15:59

Sorry, totally reminds me of the child abduction case too.

There are loads of lovely irish girls names to choose from.

NewYearNewPants · 02/01/2011 16:00

Not massively keen.

It's not a genuine Irish name, either. It's one of those Americanised Oirish names, like Erin or Caitlin pronounced 'Kate-lynn'.

ThisIsYourSong · 02/01/2011 17:15

How can it not be a genuine Irish name? Its a place in Ireland?

Not being rude, but I just don't get that comment...

cupcakesinthesnow · 02/01/2011 17:18

In Australia it's more common as a boys name. I like it as a boys name as that was as I heard it when I lived in Oz for a few years.

BooBooGlass · 02/01/2011 17:19

Well Brooklyn's a place in New York, but that ain't a name either Wink

CuppaTeaJanice · 02/01/2011 17:21

I loved it and was convinced I was going to use it for a future DD - this was in the days of Isla Fisher playing Shannon in home and away.

Then it became more popular and associated with names like Chelsea, Kayleigh etc. which I hate. I wouldn't use it now as I think it's a bit dated to the late 1990s.

CornflowerB · 02/01/2011 17:25

No-one in Ireland would call a child Shannon. Agree there are lots of beautiful Irish names, but Shannon is not one of them, unless you are talking about the river.

CornflowerB · 02/01/2011 17:26

BTW Caitlin is both a legitimate Irish and Scottish name but pronounced differently in the different countries

toddlerama · 02/01/2011 17:28

It's chavtastic.

BalloonSlayer · 02/01/2011 17:31

DH wanted this for DD. Then in our baby book it said it's not a real Irish Christian name, just a fake one, so he changed his mind.

Agree re Australia - in Australia's biggest Loser this year there were two Shannons, a man and a woman, but I think the man spelled it Shannen.

I still think it has a nice sound to it.

AnnieDelores · 02/01/2011 17:32

Can't stop thinkng of poor Shannon Matthews ...sorry!

How about Seren? Pronounced Sair-en?

ThisIsYourSong · 02/01/2011 17:53

Oh OK I see what you mean there.

Anyway, DH's surname is Shannon and I always thought it was pretty, so am a bit Blush to find that my babies have a chavtastic name!

BarbieLovesKen · 02/01/2011 21:06

I agree with Thisisyoursong - I never get the whole "Shannon is not an Irish name", "its not a real Irish name"..

Shannon is an authentic Irish name. It means little old wise one.

I have a Shannon! Smile

I adored the name until I came to mumsnet, when I was introduced to the word chav and the discovery that a name can actually be chavtastic. I did start seeing this as a chav name, as Im so easily lead, I suppose. It makes me a little sad and I have to admit that I now slightly regret the name choice - funnily enough only because of Mumsnet and this discovery though.

I laughed when I read cuppatea's post as to be honest, I had my dd very young and named her Shannon as I had an obsession with the name due to Shannon in home and away and loved the name for a few years.

mathanxiety · 02/01/2011 21:55

What NewYearNewPants said. Oirish.

Seanan (fada on last a, pronounced Shan-awn)) is an Irish boy's name and has nothing to do with the name of the river, which is An tSionainn/ Abha na Sionainne and other forms depending on case and gender (most Irish rivers have gramatically feminine names, and river itself is a feminine noun in Irish). River names are usually among the oldest landscape names, and there is evidence that the names of Irish rivers may predate the Celtic /Irish names found in Ireland.

hulabula · 02/01/2011 21:59

"the discovery that a name can actually be chavtastic"

A name cannot be chav/posh, only a person imo. And I don't understand this mumsnet obsession with 'labelling' names in this way? How will our children become more open minded (who dont' care in the least about chav/poshness of their mates names)..?!

BarbieLovesKen · 02/01/2011 22:01

Oh I agree hulabula - 100% (and I meant that comment in a slightly sneerish way)

lotuseener · 02/01/2011 22:12

Crikey, I am a Shannon. Had no idea my name was chavvy and so negatively looked on.

hulabula · 02/01/2011 22:14

Yes, I understood that, but I still wanted to make the point because this 'labelling of names' bothers me too... Smile.

mathanxiety · 02/01/2011 22:20

I think it has a lovely sound.

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