Given name & surname
Kannon
“the Buddhist deity of mercy”
Kannon is used as a given name and a surname. One Japanese interpretation is “the Buddhist deity of mercy.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Japanese interpretation is “the Buddhist deity of mercy.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Japanese.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1972. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kannon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,181
- 6,040 boys · 141 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 534 babies
- 2025
- 274
- #904 for boys · #9,152 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 263 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 904 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 21.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 11 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (34). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,464 as a first name in 2020; 204 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.
Kannon’s family of names
Kannon has a related form in Kannan. Kannon has a related form in Kannen. Kannon has a related form in Kannin.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
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