Shenan
An Irish given name meaning "old path" or "ancient way".
Name Census estimates that about 46 living Americans carry the first name Shenan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 51.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Shenan today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shenan births was 1966 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shenan. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shenan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
46
~ 1 in 7,451,181 Americans
Peak year
1966
8 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1974 SSA rank
#5,890
Tracked since 1965
Gender
Gender distribution for Shenan
Shenan is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 52 total registrations, 25 (48.1%) were male and 27 (51.9%) were female.
Shenan as a male name
- Ranked #5,890 in 1974
- 5 male births in 1974
- Peak: 1966 (8 births)
Shenan as a female name
- Ranked #11,650 in 1979
- 5 female births in 1979
- Peak: 1971 (7 births)
Popularity
Shenan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shenan from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 32 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shenan 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 Shenan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shenan
The given name Shenan is an ancient Irish name with its origins dating back to the 5th century AD. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "sionnach," which means "fox." In Irish folklore, the fox was revered for its cunning and intelligence, and the name was bestowed upon individuals believed to possess these qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shenan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The text mentions a notable figure named Shenan mac Geirr, who was a prominent scholar and abbot of the monastery of Clonard in the 6th century AD.
During the 8th century, the name gained further significance with the rise of Shenan of Inishcaltra, a renowned Irish monk and scribe. He was renowned for his calligraphic skills and is credited with the production of several illuminated manuscripts, including the renowned Book of Durrow.
In the 11th century, the name Shenan was associated with Shenan mac Aedha, a powerful Irish chieftain who ruled over the territory of Síl Anmchadha in what is now County Galway. He was known for his military prowess and played a significant role in the ongoing conflicts between Irish clans and the Norman invaders.
Another notable figure bearing the name Shenan was Shenan mac Colmáin, a 12th-century Irish bishop and scholar. He was celebrated for his extensive knowledge of canon law and served as the Bishop of Armagh, one of the most influential ecclesiastical positions in medieval Ireland.
In the 16th century, Shenan O'Mulryan, a prominent Irish bard and poet, gained recognition for his works that celebrated Irish culture and language. His compositions were widely recited and helped preserve the oral tradition of Irish storytelling during a period of significant cultural upheaval.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who bore the name Shenan, a name deeply rooted in Irish heritage and associated with qualities such as wisdom, intelligence, and leadership. While its popularity may have waned in more recent times, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural tapestry of Ireland and its ancient traditions.
People
Shenan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shenan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shenan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shenan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 46 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shenan 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 7,451,181 US residents.
Is Shenan a common name?
We classify Shenan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 52 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shenan most popular?
The single biggest year for Shenan was 1966, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shenan is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shenan a female name?
Yes, 51.9% of people registered as Shenan 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.