Merlin vs Shannon
Merlin 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2019, Merlin was ranked #1217 and Shannon #4702 among boys in England and Wales.
Merlin and Shannon over time
Merlin and Shannon appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Merlin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Shannon 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.
Shannon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Merlin 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2019
Merlin held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Shannon in 1.
Highest recorded here: Merlin #786 in 2001, Shannon #1168 in 1996.
The order changed in 2017: Merlin moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #3822 and #3822; by 2017 that had become #1068 and #4812.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Merlin #1217, Shannon #4702.
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 | Merlin | Shannon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | 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 | GB-ENW | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1517 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Merlin and Shannon both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Merlin
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1235 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #786 among boys in England and Wales, in 2001 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1517 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
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