Frances vs Shannan
Frances and Shannancompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1997, Frances was ranked #241 and Shannan #271 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2009, Frances was ranked #647 and Shannan #5556 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Frances was ranked #856 and Shannan #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Frances and Shannan over time
Frances and Shannan appear together in 2 published lists, across 24 years of shared records. Frances held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Shannan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Frances reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Shannan 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Frances #161 in 1996, Shannan #594 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls14 shared years, 1996–2009
Frances held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Shannan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Frances #161 in 1996, Shannan #594 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Frances #647, Shannan #5556.
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 1993–2023
Frances held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Shannan in 1.
Highest recorded here: Frances #158 in 1994, Shannan #232 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Frances #856, Shannan #856.
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 | Frances | Shannan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #379 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #856 (2023) |
| 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
- Frances and Shannan both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Frances
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #64 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #38 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #379 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Shannan
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #320 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2023
Highest recorded position: #232 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1995 (recorded 1993–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2023.
Republic of Ireland · Girls