Given name & surname
Canon
“an official of the church”
Canon is a variant of Cannon. One French interpretation is “an official of the church.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Canon is a variant of Cannon. One French interpretation is “an official of the church.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Canon is a variant of Cannon. An origin associated with Cannon is French.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Canon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,792
- 2,751 boys · 41 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 129 babies
- 2025
- 69
- #2,211 for boys · #15,365 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −22%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 64 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,211 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 21.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 129 in 2019. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,155 as a first name in 2020; 2,500 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.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Canon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Canyon
“from the footpath” · “from the deep ravine”
92% boys · 8% girls
Karson
“from the swamp” · “a free man”
95% boys · 5% girls
Kashton
Kashton is a masculine given name.
99% boys · 1% girls
Kayvon
“a handsome man”
>99% boys
Camdon
“of the enclosed valley” · “from the winding valley”
>99% boys
Kazi
“a hardworking man”
79% boys · 21% girls
Kawhi
>99% boys
Kolson
>99% boys