Channon
A feminine name derived from the Irish Shannon, meaning "old river".
Name Census estimates that about 1,068 living Americans carry the first name Channon. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 63.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Channon today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Channon births was 1971 (57 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Channon. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Channon was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
- • Channon sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 320,931 Americans
Peak year
1971
57 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2023 SSA rank
#7,362
Tracked since 1964
Gender
Gender distribution for Channon
Channon is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,141 total registrations, 412 (36.1%) were male and 729 (63.9%) were female.
Channon as a male name
- Ranked #7,362 in 2023
- 11 male births in 2023
- Peak: 1971 (17 births)
Channon as a female name
- Ranked #11,789 in 2008
- 9 female births in 2008
- Peak: 1971 (40 births)
Popularity
Channon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Channon from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 387 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Channon by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Channon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Channons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Michigan, Ohio recorded the most babies named Channon, while Ohio, Michigan, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Channon
The given name Channon has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "cænan," which means "to show forth" or "to make known." This name was prevalent in Anglo-Saxon England during the 5th to 11th centuries.
Channon is closely related to the Old English name Cænnan, which shares a similar meaning and spelling. It also has connections to the Old Norse name Kænni, reflecting the cultural exchange and influence between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings during that period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Channon can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of annals documenting the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The name appears in entries from the 9th century, suggesting its use among the nobility and ruling classes of the time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Channon. One of the earliest recorded was Channon of Mercia (c. 850 - 920), a prominent Anglo-Saxon nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the defense of Mercia against Viking invasions.
Another notable figure was Channon the Scholar (c. 1050 - 1120), a renowned monk and scholar from the Benedictine abbey of Malmesbury. He was renowned for his extensive writings and contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts.
During the Middle Ages, the name Channon was also found in various religious texts and chronicles. Channon of Avranches (c. 1080 - 1150) was a Benedictine monk and historian who authored a significant work on the history of the Norman Conquest of England.
In the 16th century, Channon Barker (c. 1540 - 1610) was a prominent English merchant and tradesman who played a significant role in the expansion of commercial activities in London.
Another notable figure was Channon Willoughby (c. 1660 - 1720), an English soldier and military officer who served in the Nine Years' War and later became a member of the Parliament of England.
While the name Channon has ancient roots and a rich history, it has become less common in modern times, particularly in its traditional English spelling. However, its variants, such as Shannon and Chanel, have gained popularity as given names in various cultures and regions around the world.
People
Channon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Channon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Channon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Channon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,068 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Channon going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 320,931 US residents.
Is Channon a common name?
We classify Channon as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,141 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Channon most popular?
The single biggest year for Channon was 1971, when 57 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Channon is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Channon a female name?
Yes, 63.9% of people registered as Channon in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.