Canaan

Canaan - A very unique male name

Canaan appeared on the charts for the first time in 1983 on position #1624. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Canaan and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Canaan? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Canaan. The baby boy name Canaan was given to 169 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1020 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 8,676 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Canaan peaked in popularity 10 years ago in 2016 on position 660.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Canaan, 1-5?

Canaan is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Canaan is currently topping the baby name charts in Kentucky at position #457 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #1,424.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Canaan is where you live.

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Canaan origin and meaning

Hebrew — biblical place and person

Uncertain — Canaan is the biblical land and Noah's grandson; its Hebrew meaning is disputed, with 'lowland' and a link to purple dye among the proposals

Canaan is first a place — the promised land of the Old Testament — and also a son of Ham in Genesis. As a boy's name it is a modern biblical-place choice, peaking in 2016.

Origin uncertain

Canaan is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Canaan, pop culture references for the name Canaan and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Canaan

We've found the following names that sound similar to Canaan, sorted by popularity.

Cohen / Chaim / Cason / Cannon / Casen / Cayson / Cain / Connie / Coen / Cassian /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Canaan

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Canaan a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Canaan?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KAY-nuhn · /ˈkeɪnən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Kanaan — Transliteration-style spelling.

Nicknames: Cane

Famous bearers

• Canaan — Grandson of Noah in the Book of Genesis (Biblical) Historical

Style

BiblicalPlace name

Why parents choose it

Canaan appeals to parents who want a strong biblical place name outside the usual list. It has cooled slightly from its peak.

Worth knowing

• Genesis also contains the curse of Canaan story — church-going families may know it.
• It can be confused with Cannon and Canon, both in use as names.