Barbara vs Shannon
Barbara and Shannoncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Barbara was ranked #856 and Shannon #555 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Barbara was ranked #2000 and Shannon #1743 among girls in England and Wales.
Barbara and Shannon over time
Barbara and Shannon appear together in 2 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Shannon held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Barbara in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Shannon in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Barbara and Shannon changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2000 and #1743.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Shannon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 41 years, from 1974 to 2023, ending at #856 and #555.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Barbara #848 in 1996, Shannon #11 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1974–2023
Barbara held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Shannon in 28.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #63 in 1974, Shannon #11 in 1995.
The order changed in 1990: Shannon moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #171 and #332; by 1990 that had become #208 and #208.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barbara #856, Shannon #555.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Barbara held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Shannon in 23.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Shannon #11 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barbara #2000, Shannon #1743.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Barbara | Shannon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Shannon.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Shannon
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #69 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls