Total births
1,193
Boys' name · since 1990
Kanaan
Kanaan has 1,193 recorded births since 1990 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2018 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2205
- among boys today
- 1,193
- born since 1990
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kanaan is the #2205 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,193 recorded since 1990.
Kanaan has 1,193 recorded births among boys since 1990, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2205 as of the latest data, more common than 85% 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 1990 to 2025.
- #2205 among boys today
- 1,193 born since 1990
- 2010s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kanaan is currently the #2205 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 1,193 born since 1990, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2205
- among boys today
- 1,193
- born since 1990
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Kanaan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2205
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Kanaan was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
87 babies were named Kanaan in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Kanaan compares
1,193 Top 28% higher than 72% 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
Kanaan's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kanaan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,193 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 87 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kanaan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kanaan's full recorded timeline at 2008, 81% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 19% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1997, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2018 peak of 87 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kanaan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2018
Current rank
#2,205
Active since
1990
Kanaan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1990–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 87
- Annual births at peak, across 36 years of records
Kanaan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Kanaan's strongest decade.
491 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Kanaan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 80
1990s
80 births
- 2000s
2000s
202 births
- 2010s
2010s
491 births
- 2020s
2020s
420 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 491 births (41% of all-time use).
How Kanaan 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 Kanaan's total volume
Kanaan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kanaan by state
Where Kanaan concentrates geographically, total births since 1990
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 68 | 5.7% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 49 | 4.1% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 28 | 2.3% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 21 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Florida | | 19 | 1.6% |
| #6 | New York | | 18 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 13 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 13 | 1.1% |
Texas share of Kanaan's total US births 5.7%
Even split
68 of 1,193 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Kanaan appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kanaan? ▼
Since 1990, Social Security records show 1,193 babies named Kanaan. Today it holds rank #2205 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2018, with 87 births.
When was Kanaan most popular? ▼
Kanaan was most popular in the 2010s decade with 491 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Kanaan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kanaan are Texas (68 births), Georgia (49 births), North Carolina (28 births).
How long has the name Kanaan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kanaan since 1990 -- 36 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kanaan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kane, Kannon, Kanan, Kanon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kanaan's data
- Kanaan's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (491 total births) through the 2020s (420) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Kanaans (68 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 Kanaan
Nearby Names Like Kanaan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kanaan
Kane Boy
#432 19,521 births
Kannon Boy
#986 6,040 births
Kanan Boy
#1138 1,809 births
Kanon Boy
#2980 1,524 births
Kanye Boy
#6381 1,404 births
Compare Kanaan side by side: Kanaan vs Kane Kanaan vs Kannon Kanaan vs Kanan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kanaan
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1990–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kanaan: #2205 Boys' Name - 1,193 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kanaan. 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 Kanaan 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 June 2026.