Boy · #12,301 in 2026

Kaanan

Canaan was an ancient Semitic-speaking civilization and region of the Southern Levant during the late 2nd millennium BC. Canaan had significant geopolitical importance in the Late Bronze Age Amarna Period as the area where the spheres of interest of the Egyptian, Hittite, Mitanni, and Assyrian Empires converged or overlapped.

Current Rank
#12,301
Peak Rank
#9,668 (2018)
Total Babies
28
5-Yr Trend
Stable
2018
First Year
2024
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#9668
Peak Rank
28
Total Count
5
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kaanan

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

Canaan was an ancient Semitic-speaking civilization and region of the Southern Levant during the late 2nd millennium BC. Canaan had significant geopolitical importance in the Late Bronze Age Amarna Period as the area where the spheres of interest of the Egyptian, Hittite, Mitanni, and Assyrian Empires converged or overlapped.

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

Etymology
See also: Names of the Levant
Origin & history
The Levant was inhabited by people who referred to the land as ka-na-na-um as early as the mid-third millennium BC. The Akkadian word " kinahhu " referred to the purple-coloured wool, dyed from the Murex molluscs of the coast—which was a key export of the region. When the ancient Greeks later traded with the Canaanites, this meaning of the word seems to have predominated, as they referred to the Canaanites as Phoenikes (Φοίνικες; Phoenicians ), which may derive from the Greek-language word " phoenix " (φοίνιξ; translation</span>"}]],"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Translation","href":"./

The Story of Kaanan

Kaanan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2018, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 7 Kaanans were born — ranking #9,668 that year. As of 2026, Kaanan ranks #12,301 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 28 Kaanans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Names that sound like Kaanan

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kaanan

What does the name Kaanan mean?
Canaan was an ancient Semitic-speaking civilization and region of the Southern Levant during the late 2nd millennium BC. Canaan had significant geopolitical importance in the Late Bronze Age Amarna Period as the area where the spheres of interest of the Egyptian, Hittite, Mitanni, and Assyrian Empires converged or overlapped.
How popular is Kaanan in 2026?
In 2026, Kaanan ranks #12,301 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Kaanan most popular?
Kaanan reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #9,668 that year with 7 babies given the name.
Is Kaanan a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Kaanan is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Kaanan?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kaanan include Basile, Wakefield, Meritt. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Basile
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Wakefield
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Meritt
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Heiko
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Kyale
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Kamry
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Haseem
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About the name Kaanan

Kaanan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2018 and has accumulated 28 births in the dataset. Kaanan's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #9,668. Use the chart and map above to compare Kaanan'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.