Boy's name
Seanán
“SHAN-awn”
from sean, 'old, wise' — 'little wise one'
Why it is said that way
s before e is sh, and the fada lengthens the second a: SHAN-awn.
- s before e or i → sh
- á é í ó ú (the fada) → a long vowel — and never optional
The story behind the name
St Senan founded the monastery on Scattery Island in the Shannon estuary, and legend has him banishing a monster, the Cathach, from the island. Scattery's round tower still stands; the last islanders left in 1978.
Its age
Associated with AD 544 — Patrick & the Rise of the Uí Néill.
See Ireland in that year on the atlas ↗
Where the name belongs
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z