Boy · #5,497 in 2026

Kannan

Kannan is a Tamil and Malayalam male given name. Due to a Tamil tradition of using patronymic surnames, it may also be a surname for males and females. The name is derived from the Hindu god Krishna, who is offered the epithet of Kannan in Tamil, meaning, "the one who is to be seen".

Current Rank
#5,497
Peak Rank
#3,992 (2018)
Total Babies
362
5-Yr Trend
-11%
1998
First Year
2026
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#3992
Peak Rank
362
Total Count
27
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kannan

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

Kannan is a Tamil and Malayalam male given name. Due to a Tamil tradition of using patronymic surnames, it may also be a surname for males and females. The name is derived from the Hindu god Krishna, who is offered the epithet of Kannan in Tamil, meaning, "the one who is to be seen".

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

Etymology
The word Kannan might come from the Pali into Tamil during the classical period. In Pali, Kanha means dark or black, and the Sanskrit equivalent will be Kṛṣṇa ( Krishna ). In Tamil-speaking regions, Lord Krishna is called as Kanna(or with a masculine ending Kannan).

The Story of Kannan

Kannan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1998, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 26 Kannans were born — ranking #3,992 that year. As of 2026, Kannan ranks #5,497 for baby boys with 17 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 362 Kannans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
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Top 10
11-50
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101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Kannan

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kannan 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 Kannan

What does the name Kannan mean?
Kannan is a Tamil and Malayalam male given name. Due to a Tamil tradition of using patronymic surnames, it may also be a surname for males and females. The name is derived from the Hindu god Krishna, who is offered the epithet of Kannan in Tamil, meaning, "the one who is to be seen".
How popular is Kannan in 2026?
In 2026, Kannan ranks #5,497 among boys' names in the U.S., with 17 babies given the name that year.
When was Kannan most popular?
Kannan reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #3,992 that year with 26 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Kannan most popular?
Kannan has historically been most popular in Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kannan.
Is Kannan a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Kannan is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Kannan?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kannan include Kinley, Beren, Brazos. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Kinley
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Beren
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👦
Brazos
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👦
Dreyton
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👦
Izeyah
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Janoah
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Dredyn
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Linkon
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About the name Kannan

Kannan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1998 and has accumulated 362 births in the dataset. Kannan's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #3,992. Use the chart and map above to compare Kannan'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.