Can Last Name: Meaning and Heraldic Roots

The same name, two spellings: Can and Cann. Taken at its root, Can points to “One who came from Cann (deep valley), in Dorset”.

Can and Cann

Can drops the “n” of Cann, a shortening that clerks often made. Census takers and immigration officers often wrote what they heard.

The 2010 US Census counted 1,065 people named Can, ranking it number 23,750 among American surnames. 38% of them identified as Hispanic or Latino. From 1891 to 2000, 736 births in France were registered under Can. The name became more frequent over the century.

Family crest and blazon

Arms linked to Cann and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to.

For the full story, order the Can surname pack.