Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2018

Can

Meaning A unisex given name from Vietnamese Gender Boy Rank 2025 #7,276

A unisex given name from Vietnamese.

Rank 2025
#7,276
among boys · ↓2,936 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
11
named Can · -54% vs 2024
How common
1 in 155,280
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2018
30 babies
All-time total
554
#7,419 all-time among boys
First recorded
1970
in Social Security records

Can popularity over time

554 babies have been named Can since 1970, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2018Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s 12 1 – #4,807
1980s 33 3 +175% #4,615
1990s 85 9 +158% #4,916
2000s 121 12 +42% #4,286
2010s 203 20 +68% #3,616
2020s (to 2025) 100 17 -18% #4,340

The story of Can

Can is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #7,276 in 2025 with 11 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1970, 554 American babies have been named Can. Its peak came in 2018, when 30 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Can stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Can?

The median living Can is about 14 years old; half are between 7 and 24. An estimated 500 people named Can are alive in the United States today.

median 14 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Can year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 11 #7,276
2024 24 #4,340
2023 20 #4,908
2022 19 #5,052
2021 16 #5,600
2020 10 #7,610
2019 27 #3,908
2018 30 #3,616
2017 24 #4,243
2016 28 #3,790
2015 19 #4,913
2014 13 #6,357
2013 11 #7,107
2012 17 #5,284
2011 18 #5,008
2010 16 #5,519
2009 9 #8,403
2008 18 #5,093
2007 9 #8,284
2006 11 #6,983
2005 9 #7,725
2004 20 #4,286
2003 11 #6,317
2002 13 #5,440
2001 12 #5,723
2000 9 #6,925
1995 8 #6,478
1990 8 #5,904
1985 5 #6,667
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 5 #4,807
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Can

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Can Yaman Can Yaman Turkish actor, model and lawyer (born 1989) Contemporary
  2. 2 Can Bonomo Can Bonomo Turkish singer (born 1987) Contemporary
  3. 3 Can Dündar Can Dündar Turkish journalist, columnist and documentarian (born 1961) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Can, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Can?

The median living Can is about 14 years old. Half of all living Cans are between 7 and 24 years old.

How many people named Can are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Can are alive in the United States, based on 554 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Can mean?

A unisex given name from Vietnamese.

How popular is the name Can in 2025?

Can ranked #7,276 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 11 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Can?

554 babies have been named Can in the United States since 1970, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Can most popular?

Can peaked in 2018, when 30 newborns received the name.

Is Can a boy or girl name?

Can is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Can rising or falling?

Can is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Can?

Well-known people named Can include Can Yaman (actor), Can Bonomo (singer), Can Dündar (writer).

Names like Can

Names that sound and feel close to Can: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Can with similar names → More names starting with C →