Canon
Canon was the 2211th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 64 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 1349th; the most babies were born in 2019 (129). Over the last ten years it has moved down 443 places. More babies were named Canon in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Cannon) several surname sources · Irish, English, French
- Rank in 2025
- #2,211 boys, down 720 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 64boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2019129 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,792babies recorded
What does the name Canon mean?
Canon is a spelling of Cannon, pronounced the same way, so it shares Cannon's meaning and origin.
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)
Canon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 41 since 1986, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,211 | 64 |
| 2020 | #1,491 | 114 |
| 2010 | #1,504 | 108 |
| 2000 | #2,019 | 50 |
| 1990 | #6,501 | 7 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Canon, counting every spelling?
Canon is a spelling of Cannon, a name family that ranked #413 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,211 for Canon 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 Canon?
64 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Canon (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Canon 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 131 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Canon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Canon?
About 2,700 people born in the US named Canon are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 7 and 20. That makes Canon mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Canon by state
How common Canon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.6×). In 43 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Canon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Canon, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Canon
What does Canon mean?
Canon is a spelling of Cannon, usually explained as “several surname sources”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Canon?
Canon was the 2211th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 64 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 1349th; the most babies were born in 2019 (129). Over the last ten years it has moved down 443 places. More babies were named Canon in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Canon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Canon in the US.
Where is Canon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Canon was most common in Arkansas (0.08 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and California.