Explore the Family Name Kanaan

The meaning of Kanaan

Arabic (mainly the Levant): from the personal name Kanʿān, the name of Noah’s fourth son (accordingly to Islam) or grandson (according to the Bible). Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Ahmad, Azzam, Amin, Ammar, Baha, Charbel, Fouad, Hassan, Hisham, Hussein, Issam, Jubran. French Antoine, Camille, Michel.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kanaan in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Kanaan has seen a significant increase in popularity within the United States between 2000 and 2010. The popularity rank improved from 49,159 in 2000 to 37,288 in 2010, a notable change of 24.15%. In addition, the count of individuals with this surname increased by 48.76%, rising from 402 in 2000 to 598 in 2010. This change is reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which also saw an increase of 33.33% over this time period.

20002010Change
Rank#49,159#37,28824.15%
Count40259848.76%
Proportion per 100k0.150.233.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kanaan

Regarding ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Kanaan identify as White, with this group seeing a slight increase from 86.82% in 2000 to 90.13% in 2010. The representation of those identifying as Two or more races decreased slightly from 7.21% to 6.52%. There was a substantial decrease in the percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic, dropping from 3.23% to 1.17%, and a similar decrease was seen in the Black category, falling from 1.99% to 1.17%. No individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these census years.

20002010Change
White86.82%90.13%3.81%
Two or More Races7.21%6.52%-9.57%
Hispanic3.23%1.17%-63.78%
Black1.99%1.17%-41.21%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%