Kannon
Guanyin is a common Chinese name of the Bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara. Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as male in Indian Buddhism, Guanyin has been more commonly depicted as female in China and most of East Asia since about the 12th century.
Meaning & Origin of Kannon
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Guanyin is a common Chinese name of the Bodhisattva associated with compassion known as Avalokiteśvara. Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as male in Indian Buddhism, Guanyin has been more commonly depicted as female in China and most of East Asia since about the 12th century.
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The Story of Kannon
Kannon first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1972, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 525 Kannons were born — ranking #539 that year. As of 2026, Kannon ranks #1,193 for baby boys with 172 births, falling sharply (-43%). In total, more than 6K Kannons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kannon
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kannon 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 Kannon
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About the name Kannon
Kannon is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Kannon's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #539. Use the chart and map above to compare Kannon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "K" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
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.