Explore the Family Name Can
The meaning of Can
1. Turkish: ornamental name or nickname from can ‘soul, life’, also ‘agreeable’, figuratively ‘beloved friend’. 2. Vietnamese (Cấn): from the Chinese surname 靳, see Jin 2. 3. Vietnamese (Cần): unexplained. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 陳, based on its Cantonese pronunciation, see Chen 1. 5. Amerindian (Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize): Mayan name, from a Castilianized form of kan ‘snake’ (compare Chan). 6. Scottish and English: probably a shortened variant of McCann. 7. English: variant of Cann. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Yakup, Adil, Ali, Abdullah, Ahmet, Arif, Bayram, Ebru, Eyup, Faris, Halil, Hasan. Vietnamese Bang, Doan, Duong, Ha Van, Hien, Khang, Quan, Tho, Thu, Tong Thanh, Tu, Tung. Spanish Cesar, Jorge, Jose, Miguel, Pascual, Raul, Reyna.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Can in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Can' has noticeably increased over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, 'Can' was ranked as the 30,120th most common surname in the United States and was owned by approximately 734 individuals. However, by 2010, the rank had climbed to 23,750th, with an increase of 21.15 percent. The count of people with the surname also saw a significant rise of 45.1 percent, from 734 to 1,065. As such, the proportion of the 'Can' surname per 100,000 people in the U.S. increased by 33.33 percent, from 0.27 to 0.36.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,120 | #23,750 | 21.15% |
| Count | 734 | 1,065 | 45.1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.27 | 0.36 | 33.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Can
In terms of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Can'. In 2000, Asians/Pacific Islanders made up 22.62 percent of those bearing the surname, but this marginally decreased to 21.97 percent in 2010. Simultaneously, there was a decrease in the proportion of White individuals possessing the surname, from 35.56 percent to 34.18 percent. The Hispanic component, however, saw a growth of 14.19 percent, becoming the most prevalent ethnic group with the 'Can' surname by 2010 at 37.65 percent. The Black population also began to feature in the data with a marginal 3.10 percent representation in 2010. Data for those identifying with two or more races was suppressed for privacy in 2010, and there were no recorded individuals of American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity during both census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 32.97% | 37.65% | 14.19% |
| White | 35.56% | 34.18% | -3.88% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 22.62% | 21.97% | -2.87% |
| Black | 0% | 3.1% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 4.63% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |