Boy · #9,864 in 2026

Kenaan

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
#9,864
Peak Rank
#8,129 (2014)
Total Babies
54
5-Yr Trend
Stable
2012
First Year
2024
Last Year
2014
Peak Year
#8129
Peak Rank
54
Total Count
8
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kenaan

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 Kenaan

Kenaan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2012, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 9 Kenaans were born — ranking #8,129 that year. As of 2026, Kenaan ranks #9,864 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 54 Kenaans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s 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
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Kenaan

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kenaan 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 Kenaan

What does the name Kenaan 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 Kenaan in 2026?
In 2026, Kenaan ranks #9,864 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Kenaan most popular?
Kenaan reached its peak popularity in 2014, ranking #8,129 that year with 9 babies given the name.
Is Kenaan a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Kenaan is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Kenaan?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kenaan include Vincen, Sujal, Nektarios. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Vincen
Peak #8129
👦
Sujal
Peak #8129
👦
Nektarios
Peak #8129
👦
Parin
Peak #8129
👦
Jameon
Peak #8129
👦
Yashar
Peak #8129
👦
Suan
Peak #8129
👦
Soane
Peak #8129

About the name Kenaan

Kenaan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2012 and has accumulated 54 births in the dataset. Kenaan's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #8,129. Use the chart and map above to compare Kenaan'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.