Boy · #3,995 in 2026

Can

Name: Popularity of the name Can in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Can, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Can is a common Turkish, Azerbaijani and Circassian given name and surname, meaning spirit, life, soul or heart. Turkish and Azerbaijani use is derived from the Persian word Jan and Circassian use is derived from Circassian word Janberk. Džan is a variant in use in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Current Rank

#3,995

Peak Rank

#3,606 (2018)

Total Babies

595

5-Yr Trend

+7%

1970

First Year

2026

Last Year

2018

Peak Year

#3606

Peak Rank

595

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Can

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Can

Can first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1970, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 30 Cans were born — ranking #3,606 that year. As of 2026, Can ranks #3,995 for baby boys with 27 births, gradually rising (+7%). In total, more than 595 Cans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Can

Phonetically similar names — useful when Can is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Kan
Cannes
Cann
Caen
Cahn
Kann
Canne
Kanne
Coin
Cane
Con
Cone

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Can

What does the name Can mean?

How popular is Can in 2026?

In 2026, Can ranks #3,995 among boys' names in the U.S., with 27 babies given the name that year.

When was Can most popular?

Can reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #3,606 that year with 30 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Can most popular?

Can has historically been most popular in Florida, California, New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Can.

Is Can a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Can is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Can?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Can include Thunder, Sinan, Arshan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Can

Can is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 595 births in the dataset. Can's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #3,606. Use the chart and map above to compare Can's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.