Find out how popular the last name Shanahan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shanahan.

Shanahan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shanahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shanahan in America

Shanahan is the 4119th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shanahan surname appeared 8,616 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Shanahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shanahan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shanahan

The surname Shanahan originates from Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name O'Sionnachain, which means "descendant of Sionnach." Sionnach translates to "fox" in English, suggesting that the name may have been a nickname for someone with reddish hair or a sly, cunning personality.

The name first appeared in historical records in the 12th century, with the earliest known mention being in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. This reference dates back to 1176 and mentions a man named Sionnachain O'Sionnachain.

The Shanahan surname is most closely associated with County Limerick and County Tipperary in Ireland, where it has been concentrated for centuries. However, the name can also be found in other parts of Ireland, particularly in counties Cork and Kerry.

One notable early bearer of the name was Mathew Shanahan, a 16th-century Irish chieftain and leader of the Shanahan clan in County Limerick. He fought against the English during the Desmond Rebellions in the 1580s.

Another prominent figure was Edmund Shanahan (1757-1825), an Irish-born architect and builder who was active in Charleston, South Carolina, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Charleston Orphan House and the Charleston Theater.

In the 19th century, Michael Shanahan (1825-1901) was a prominent Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and as a judge in New York City.

John Shanahan (1846-1917) was an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, from 1901 to 1905.

In more recent times, Dennis Shanahan (born 1949) is an Australian journalist and political commentator who has worked for various publications, including The Australian newspaper.

While the exact origins of the Shanahan surname may be lost to history, its Irish roots and connections to County Limerick and County Tipperary are well-established. The name has been carried by many notable individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting its enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shanahan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shanahan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shanahan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shanahan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shanahan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shanahan, please contact us.

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