Given name & surname
Can
“one who is dearly loved”
Can is used as a given name and a surname. One Turkish interpretation is “one who is dearly loved.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Turkish interpretation is “one who is dearly loved.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Turkish.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1970. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Can through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 554
- 554 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 30 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #7,276 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,276 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 30 in 2018. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,408 as a first name in 2020; 1,315 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Can’s family of names
In German usage, Can is a diminutive of CANDID. In Indonesian usage, Can as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with Chan. In Turkish usage, Can has a conventional equivalent in the German form John.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Can has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Turkish roots to each of them.
6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Can
- Can YamanTurkish actor and fashion model (born 1989)
- Can BonomoTurkish singer (born 1987)
- Can UzunTurkish association football player (born 2005)
- Can DündarTurkish journalist (born 1961)
- Can YücelTurkish poet (1926–1999)
- Can BartuTurkish association football player (1936–2019)
- Can BozdoğanTurkish-German association football player (born 2001)
- Can AtillaTurkish musician (born 1969)
- Can ÖncüTurkish motorcycle racer (born 2003)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Can, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Akif
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