Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2019

Canon

Meaning Spelling variant of Cannon Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,211 Trend ↓ Falling 33%

Spelling variant of Cannon.

Rank 2025
#2,211
among boys · ↓288 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
69
named Canon · -16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 26,689
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2019
129 babies
All-time total
2,792
#2,689 all-time among boys
First recorded
1971
in Social Security records

Canon popularity over time

2,792 babies have been named Canon since 1971, 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – 14 14 1 – #3,702
1980s 5 61 66 7 +371% #4,376
1990s 6 206 212 21 +221% #2,135
2000s 6 810 816 82 +285% #1,469
2010s 19 1,104 1,123 112 +38% #1,349
2020s (to 2025) 5 556 561 94 -17% #1,491

Where Canon is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 60 0.04 outside top 500
2027 57 0.03 outside top 500
2028 54 0.03 outside top 500
2029 52 0.03 outside top 500
2030 50 0.03 outside top 500

Where Canon is most popular

Boys named Canon per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.051 per 1,000. Strongest in Texas, Arkansas, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Canon born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Texas 70 0.079 +55%
Arkansas 5 0.079 +54%
California 60 0.066 +28%
Georgia 12 0.047 -7%
Alabama 5 0.046 -11%
North Carolina 11 0.043 -16%
Florida 11 0.023 -55%
Pennsylvania 6 0.023 -56%
Alaska – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
New York – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Canon

Canon is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,211 in 2025 with 64 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1971, 2,792 American babies have been named Canon. Its peak came in 2019, when 129 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 Canon stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Canon?

The median living Canon is about 13 years old; half are between 7 and 19. An estimated 2,800 people named Canon are alive in the United States today.

median 13 020406080100

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

Canon year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #15,365 64 #2,211
2024 – – 82 #1,923
2023 – – 86 #1,853
2022 – – 112 #1,577
2021 – – 98 #1,678
2020 – – 114 #1,491
2019 – – 129 #1,383
2018 5 #16,157 115 #1,499
2017 7 #12,984 113 #1,489
2016 – – 89 #1,743
2015 – – 86 #1,768
2014 – – 127 #1,349
2013 – – 100 #1,563
2012 – – 117 #1,420
2011 7 #13,634 120 #1,386
2010 – – 108 #1,504
2009 – – 106 #1,547
2008 6 #15,768 109 #1,496
2007 – – 99 #1,580
2006 – – 104 #1,469
2005 – – 87 #1,586
2004 – – 79 #1,632
2003 – – 79 #1,596
2002 – – 61 #1,852
2001 – – 36 #2,626
2000 – – 50 #2,019
1995 – – 23 #3,035
1990 – – 7 #6,501
1985 – – 9 #4,376
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Canon?

The median living Canon is about 13 years old. Half of all living Canons are between 7 and 19 years old.

How many people named Canon are alive today?

An estimated 2,800 people named Canon are alive in the United States, based on 2,792 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Canon mean?

Spelling variant of Cannon.

How popular is the name Canon in 2025?

Canon ranked #2,211 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 64 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Canon?

2,792 babies have been named Canon in the United States since 1971, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Canon most popular?

Canon peaked in 2019, when 129 newborns received the name.

Is Canon a boy or girl name?

Canon is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Canon rising or falling?

Canon is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Canon become more popular?

Canon is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 boys named Canon in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Canon

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

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