NameCensus.

UK surname

Shannan

In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Shannan surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 111, ranked #29,049, down from #14,989 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle, Craigneuk Wishaw and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shannan is 181 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 29.7%.

1881 census count

158

Ranked #14,989

Modern count

111

2016, ranked #29,049

Peak year

1861

181 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shannan had 158 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,989 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016, ranked #29,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Shannan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shannan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shannan 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 162 #12,215
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 158 #14,989
1891 historical 140 #19,193
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 83 #24,531
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 112 #25,644
2002 modern 117 #25,494
2003 modern 116 #25,415
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 118 #25,913
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 128 #25,427
2010 modern 125 #26,448
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 118 #27,250
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 111 #29,049

Geography

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Where Shannans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Moffat and Annan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle, Craigneuk Wishaw, Manchester, Guildford and Dalry East and Rural. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Moffat Dumfries
5 Annan Dumfries

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
2 Craigneuk Wishaw North Lanarkshire
3 Manchester 018 Manchester
4 Guildford 012 Guildford
5 Dalry East and Rural North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shannan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shannan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shannan, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Shannan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Shannan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Shannan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shannan is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shannan falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shannan 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.

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Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Shannan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shannan 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. Dumfriesshire leads with 24 Shannans recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.94x.

County Total Index
Dumfriesshire 24 70.94x
Lanarkshire 20 4.04x
Middlesex 18 1.18x
Yorkshire 14 0.92x
Cumberland 10 7.58x
Northumberland 9 3.95x
Oxfordshire 9 9.52x
Lancashire 8 0.44x
Surrey 7 0.94x
Ayrshire 6 5.24x
Cornwall 6 3.46x
Staffordshire 5 0.97x
Perthshire 4 5.82x
Renfrewshire 4 3.37x
Midlothian 3 1.46x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.41x
Durham 2 0.44x
Flintshire 2 4.86x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 9.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.59x
Stirlingshire 1 1.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 12 Shannans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.80x.

Place Total Index
Govan 12 9.80x
Henley On Thames 9 463.92x
Islington London 9 6.06x
Tynemouth 9 73.77x
Ruthwell 8 1739.13x
Battersea 7 12.42x
Moffat 7 454.55x
Harrington 6 377.36x
Illogan 6 130.72x
Tarbolton 6 317.46x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 5 90.74x
Mucklestone 5 1000.00x
Sharples 5 253.81x
Annan 4 137.46x
Auchterarder 4 208.33x
Hackney London 4 4.66x
Horton In Bradford 4 16.88x
Paisley High Church 4 42.33x
Workington 4 52.98x
Barony 3 2.39x
Cummertrees 3 526.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 3.63x
Rutherglen 3 41.27x
Glusburn 2 232.56x
Heworth 2 22.27x
Kensington London 2 2.35x
Linthorpe 2 22.08x
Liverpool 2 1.81x
Old Deer 2 74.35x
Parton 2 526.32x
Rhuddlan 2 55.25x
Shotts 2 33.73x
Applegarth 1 196.08x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.77x
Falkirk 1 7.56x
Half Morton 1 384.62x
Hampstead London 1 4.19x
Loughborough 1 12.99x
Prescot 1 30.40x
St Marylebone London 1 1.22x
Thornaby 1 17.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Jane 4
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Catharine 1
Elizth. 1
Emilly 1
Harriat 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1
Jamesina 1
Jannet 1
Joanna 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Sarah 1
Seedwell 1
Susanah 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Thomas 5
William 5
Michael 3
Robert 3
Arthur 2
Edgar 2
Edward 2
James 2
Thos. 2
Bernard 1
Charles 1
E.H. 1
Francis 1
George 1
Gerald 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Joseph 1
Maurice 1
Peter 1
Robt.J. 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Shannan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shannan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Shannan surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shannan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 111 in 2016. That gives Shannan a modern rank of #29,049.

What does the Shannan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shannan 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.