Total births
5,843
Unisex name · since 1973
Canaan
Canaan has 5,843 recorded births since 1973 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2016 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1084
- among boys today
- 5,843
- born since 1973
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Canaan currently ranks #1084 among unisex names in America, with 5,843 babies recorded since 1973.
Canaan has 5,843 recorded births among boys since 1973, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1084 as of the latest data, more common than 92% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1973 to 2025.
- #1084 among boys today
- 5,843 born since 1973
- 2010s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Canaan is currently the #1084 unisex name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 5,843 born since 1973, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1084
- among boys today
- 5,843
- born since 1973
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Canaan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1084
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Canaan was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
385 babies were named Canaan in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Canaan compares
5,843 Top 11% higher than 89% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Canaan's all-time total is 16x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Canaan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,843 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 385 | 23 | 22,252 |
Canaan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Canaan's full recorded timeline at 1999, 85% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 15% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1973, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2016 peak of 385 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Canaan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2016
Current rank
#1,084
Active since
1973
Canaan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 385
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Canaan popularity over time - girls
324 total births recorded since 1980 (Canaan as girls' name)
Canaan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Canaan's strongest decade.
2,346 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Canaan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 82
1970s
82 births
- 1980s 217
1980s
217 births
- 1990s 635
1990s
635 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,257 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,346 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,306 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,346 births (40% of all-time use).
How Canaan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Canaan's total volume
Canaan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Canaan by state
Where Canaan concentrates geographically, total births since 1973
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 462 | 7.9% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 351 | 6.0% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 312 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 297 | 5.1% |
| #5 | California | | 293 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 220 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Florida | | 217 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 207 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Canaan's total US births 7.9%
Even split
462 of 5,843 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 33 reporting states.
Canaan appears in 33 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Canaan? ▼
Since 1973, Social Security records show 5,843 babies named Canaan. Today it holds rank #1084 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2016, with 385 births.
When was Canaan most popular? ▼
Canaan was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,346 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Canaan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Canaan are Texas (462 births), Tennessee (351 births), North Carolina (312 births).
Is Canaan a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Canaan is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 5,843 births, and as a girl's name it has 324 births.
How long has the name Canaan been used? ▼
Canaan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1973, spanning 53 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Canaan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cannon, Canyon, Canon, Candelario, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Canaan's data
- Canaan's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,346 total births) through the 2020s (1,306) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Canaans (462 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Canaan
Nearby Names Like Canaan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Canaan
Cannon Boy
#763 10,978 births
Canyon Boy
#1427 3,827 births
Canon Boy
#1927 2,751 births
Candelario Boy
2,319 births
Candido Boy
#8997 2,087 births
Compare Canaan side by side: Canaan vs Cannon Canaan vs Canyon Canaan vs Canon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Canaan
Marlon #1083
30,956 births · Peak 1972
Kooper #1085
4,012 births · Peak 2022
Kelvin #1082
51,551 births · Peak 1961
Koah #1086
1,279 births · Peak 2025
Veer #1081
2,922 births · Peak 2025
Gordon #1087
154,909 births · Peak 1952
Arham #1080
2,181 births · Peak 2024
Montgomery #1088
5,701 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1973–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Canaan: #1084 Unisex Name - 5,843 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/canaan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Canaan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.