Shannon vs Sullivan
Shannon and Sullivancompared 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, Shannon was ranked #4702 and Sullivan #493 among boys in England and Wales.
Shannon and Sullivan over time
Shannon and Sullivan appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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
Shannon held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sullivan in 10.
Highest recorded here: Shannon #1168 in 1996, Sullivan #493 in 2019.
The order changed in 2001: Sullivan moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #1703 and #3036; by 2001 that had become #1467 and #1467.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Shannon #4702, Sullivan #493.
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 | Shannon | Sullivan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #269 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Shannon has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sullivan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR.
How each name got here
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
Sullivan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2020 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: #269 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #269 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys