Cannon
Cannon was the 722nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 374 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 506th with 581 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 137 places. More babies were named Cannon in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning several surname sources · Irish, English, French
Say it KAN-un /ˈkænən/
- Rank in 2025
- #722 boys, down 180 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 374boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021581 babies
- Total since 1880
- 11,207babies recorded
What does the name Cannon mean?
Cannon is a surname with several sources, according to Wiktionary. In Ireland it anglicizes Ó Canann or Ó Canáin, descendant of Cana or Canán, names connected with cana, wolf cub. In England it comes from canon, a church official, and in France it is a variant of Canon. The modern word cannon, a large gun, comes from Italian cannone, a big tube, as the American Heritage Dictionary explains, and is a separate word. Cannon has been used as a boys' name since the 1900s.
cana (Irish, “wolf cub”)canon (Middle English, “church official”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several unrelated surname origins; the weapon word is separate.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cannon' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., entry 'cannon' (etymology), HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., entry 'canon' (etymology), HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Cannon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 229 since 1993.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #722 | 374 |
| 2020 | #542 | 522 |
| 2010 | #600 | 414 |
| 2000 | #1,163 | 119 |
| 1990 | #2,441 | 28 |
| 1980 | #3,282 | 13 |
| 1970 | #2,753 | 12 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | #3,066 | 7 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | #3,530 | 7 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cannon, counting every spelling?
Cannon is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #413 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #722 for Cannon on its own. Together these spellings went to 786 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon | 374 | #722 | 2,187 |
| Kannon | 263 | #904 | 1,671 |
| Canon | 64 | #2,211 | 442 |
| Kanaan | 49 | #2,661 | 336 |
| Kanen | 18 | #5,310 | 116 |
| Cannan | 5 | #12,357 | 50 |
| Kanin | — | — | 45 |
| Kannen | 8 | #9,303 | 43 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cannon?
374 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cannon (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cannon born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cannon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cannon?
About 10,800 people born in the US named Cannon are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 7 and 18. That makes Cannon a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cannon by state
How common Cannon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (3.1×), Idaho (2.8×), Arkansas (2.4×), Tennessee (2.4×), Louisiana (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Minnesota, New York, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cannon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cannon, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Cannon · Sibling names for Cannon
Questions about the name Cannon
What does Cannon mean?
Cannon is usually explained as “several surname sources”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Cannon?
Cannon was the 722nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 374 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 506th with 581 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 137 places. More babies were named Cannon in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Cannon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cannon in the US.
Where is Cannon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cannon was most common in Mississippi (0.79 per 1,000 boys), followed by Idaho and Arkansas.