NameCensus.

UK surname

Shann

An English surname possibly related to the Gaelic word "sean" meaning old or ancient.

In the 1881 census there were 281 people recorded with the Shann surname, ranking it #10,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 426, ranked #11,279, down from #10,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leeds, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull and Selby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shann is 426 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.6%.

1881 census count

281

Ranked #10,175

Modern count

426

2016, ranked #11,279

Peak year

2016

426 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shann had 281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 426 in 2016, ranked #11,279.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 422 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Shann surname distribution map

The map shows where the Shann surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Shann surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shann over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 182 #11,209
1861 historical 169 #13,823
1881 historical 281 #10,175
1891 historical 276 #11,810
1901 historical 351 #10,415
1911 historical 422 #8,936
1997 modern 389 #11,238
1998 modern 402 #11,295
1999 modern 405 #11,344
2000 modern 392 #11,564
2001 modern 383 #11,580
2002 modern 387 #11,713
2003 modern 376 #11,791
2004 modern 376 #11,798
2005 modern 372 #11,813
2006 modern 372 #11,878
2007 modern 380 #11,820
2008 modern 395 #11,598
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 410 #11,754
2011 modern 394 #11,997
2012 modern 411 #11,500
2013 modern 420 #11,489
2014 modern 423 #11,488
2015 modern 421 #11,435
2016 modern 426 #11,279

Geography

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Where Shanns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leeds, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Manchester, Bradford and Bramham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull and Selby. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bramham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Kingston upon Hull 011 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Kingston upon Hull 029 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Selby 010 Selby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shann

These lists show first names that appear often with the Shann surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shann

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shann, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Shann surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Shann household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shann is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shann is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shann falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shann is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Shann, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shann

The surname Shann is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "scēan," which means "bright" or "shining." This name likely originated in the 7th or 8th century, during the Anglo-Saxon period in England.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Shann can be found in various medieval documents, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scean" or "Sceane." This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain regions of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name Shann was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where it was often associated with various place names derived from the Old English word "scēan." For example, the village of Shannock in Norfolk was once known as "Sceanoc," meaning "bright oak."

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Shann was William Shann, a landowner from Norfolk who lived in the late 13th century. Later, in the 15th century, records show a John Shann who served as a member of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Henry VI.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Shann spread across various parts of England, with notable individuals including Thomas Shann (1550-1618), a merchant from London, and Elizabeth Shann (1625-1684), a Puritan writer and poet from Hertfordshire.

In the 18th century, the name Shann gained prominence in the field of education with the birth of Robert Shann (1742-1818), a renowned educator and headmaster of the prestigious Repton School in Derbyshire.

Another notable figure with the surname Shann was George Shann (1789-1862), a prominent British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas during the Victorian era.

Throughout its history, the surname Shann has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire, where it originated and flourished for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shann families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shann surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 203 Shanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.58x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 203 7.58x
Lancashire 45 1.40x
Durham 7 0.87x
Denbighshire 5 4.90x
Warwickshire 5 0.73x
Somerset 3 0.69x
Monmouthshire 2 1.02x
Surrey 2 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.58x
Fife 1 0.63x
Kent 1 0.11x
Middlesex 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 3.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 33 Shanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.83x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 33 21.83x
Headingley Cum Burley 17 98.61x
Adel Cum Eccup 15 1351.35x
Newton 14 56.66x
Gorton 13 43.13x
Newton Upon Ouse 11 2000.00x
Clifford Cum Boston 10 414.94x
Bolton In Bradford 9 523.26x
Heaton 9 312.50x
Knaresborough 9 213.78x
Holbeck 8 45.10x
Garforth 7 341.46x
Heaton Norris 7 38.36x
Hunslet 7 16.77x
Wortley In Bramley 7 33.00x
Clifton In York 6 107.14x
Bewerley 5 454.55x
Birmingham 5 2.20x
Foxton Shotton 5 12500.00x
Murton In York 5 3125.00x
Sutton Stoneferry 5 65.27x
Wrexham Regis 5 65.96x
Arthington 4 952.38x
Bramham Cum Oglethorpe 4 373.83x
Chadderton 4 25.53x
Great Driffield 4 72.86x
Holy Trinity 4 6.21x
York St Michael Le 4 459.77x
Bathwick 3 62.37x
Manchester 3 2.08x
Marton Cum Grafton 3 882.35x
Sculcoates 3 7.07x
Tadcaster West 3 141.51x
Bermondsey 2 2.49x
Darlington 2 6.44x
Halifax 2 5.09x
Pendleton In Salford 2 5.24x
Sharow 2 571.43x
St Woollos 2 9.17x
Armley 1 8.47x
Benningbrough 1 1428.57x
Betshanger 1 1666.67x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 10.92x
Ingleton 1 66.23x
Liverpool 1 0.51x
Otley 1 15.38x
Salford 1 1.06x
Scoonie 1 28.90x
St Benedict Cambridge 1 103.09x
St George In East 1 5.44x
York Holy Trinity 1 43.29x
York St Maurice 1 19.84x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Shann surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 11
Elizabeth 10
Annie 9
Jane 8
Margaret 6
Ann 5
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Emma 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Isabella 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Bridget 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Laura 2
Rose 2
Amy 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Edith 1
Edna 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Helah 1
Helen 1
Hephzibah 1
Hilda 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Lily 1
Maria 1
Miriam 1
Norah 1
Rhoda 1
Ruthetta 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Shann surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 17
William 17
Thomas 8
Arthur 7
Robert 7
James 6
Joseph 6
Charles 5
George 5
Alfred 4
Harry 4
Henry 4
Tom 4
David 3
Francis 3
Herbert 3
Frederick 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Albert 1
Auther 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Eleazor 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Harris 1
Havilah 1
Henery 1
Isaac 1
Jim 1
Leon 1
Morris 1
Ralph 1
Rowland 1
Silvanus 1

FAQ

Shann surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shann surname in 1881?

In 1881, 281 people were recorded with the Shann surname. That placed it at #10,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shann surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 426 in 2016. That gives Shann a modern rank of #11,279.

What does the Shann surname mean?

An English surname possibly related to the Gaelic word "sean" meaning old or ancient.

What does the Shann map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shann bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.