NameCensus.

UK surname

Cann

An Irish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic word "ceann," meaning "head" or "chief," likely referring to a headland.

In the 1881 census there were 2,761 people recorded with the Cann surname, ranking it #1,614 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,344, ranked #2,033, down from #1,614 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Devon, Torridge and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cann is 3,802 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.1%.

1881 census count

2,761

Ranked #1,614

Modern count

3,344

2016, ranked #2,033

Peak year

1911

3,802 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cann had 2,761 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,614 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,344 in 2016, ranked #2,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,802 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cann surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cann surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cann surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cann over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,082 #1,396
1861 historical 1,937 #1,505
1881 historical 2,761 #1,614
1891 historical 3,016 #1,559
1901 historical 3,454 #1,611
1911 historical 3,802 #1,362
1997 modern 3,544 #1,826
1998 modern 3,644 #1,850
1999 modern 3,681 #1,849
2000 modern 3,636 #1,867
2001 modern 3,548 #1,868
2002 modern 3,598 #1,883
2003 modern 3,500 #1,888
2004 modern 3,445 #1,921
2005 modern 3,377 #1,932
2006 modern 3,367 #1,935
2007 modern 3,379 #1,948
2008 modern 3,381 #1,969
2009 modern 3,465 #1,964
2010 modern 3,539 #1,966
2011 modern 3,469 #1,981
2012 modern 3,369 #2,001
2013 modern 3,416 #2,004
2014 modern 3,443 #2,007
2015 modern 3,379 #2,024
2016 modern 3,344 #2,033

Geography

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Where Canns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), London parishes and Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Devon, Torridge and Cornwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 London parishes London 1
4 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Devon 011 Mid Devon
2 Torridge 008 Torridge
3 Cornwall 002 Cornwall
4 Mid Devon 010 Mid Devon
5 Torridge 004 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cann

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cann surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cann

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cann, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cann surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cann household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cann is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cann is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cann falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cann is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cann, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cann

The surname Cann is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "canne," meaning a cup or vessel, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who made or sold cups or vessels.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest surviving public record, the name appears as "Canne," referring to a place name in Dorset. This suggests that the surname may have also been derived from a location, perhaps referring to someone who lived near a place with that name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where a William Canne is mentioned. Another early record is from the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which lists a John Canne.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including "Cann," "Kann," and "Canne." During this period, a Richard Canne was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

Notable individuals with the surname Cann throughout history include John Canne (1590-1667), an English Puritan minister and scholar who published an annotated edition of the Bible known as the "Canne's Bible." Another prominent figure was Benjamin Canne (1638-1720), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester from 1695 to 1698.

In the 18th century, James Cann (1723-1793) was an English engraver and printmaker known for his landscapes and architectural prints. Thomas Canne (1745-1825) was an English Nonconformist minister and author who wrote on religious subjects.

Later, in the 19th century, William Cann (1801-1864) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in Bristol, including the Bristol Athenaeum and the Clifton Club.

Throughout its history, the surname Cann has also been associated with various place names, such as Cannington in Somerset, which may have influenced the surname's origins or spelling variations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cann families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cann surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Devon leads with 1,053 Canns recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.69x.

County Total Index
Devon 1,053 18.69x
Middlesex 269 0.99x
Norfolk 183 4.40x
Cornwall 180 5.88x
Surrey 151 1.15x
Essex 113 2.12x
Somerset 109 2.50x
Yorkshire 75 0.28x
Lancashire 72 0.22x
Kent 68 0.74x
Gloucestershire 60 1.13x
Hampshire 49 0.88x
Glamorgan 47 1.00x
Suffolk 47 1.43x
Sussex 32 0.70x
Cambridgeshire 30 1.75x
Dorset 25 1.41x
Monmouthshire 20 1.02x
Wiltshire 20 0.84x
Durham 15 0.19x
Warwickshire 14 0.21x
Leicestershire 13 0.43x
Northumberland 12 0.30x
Bedfordshire 11 0.79x
Channel Islands 11 1.37x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.25x
Ayrshire 8 0.40x
Cumberland 8 0.34x
Cheshire 7 0.12x
Royal Navy 7 2.17x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.70x
Worcestershire 6 0.17x
Anglesey 5 1.04x
Angus 5 0.20x
Herefordshire 5 0.45x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.35x
Lanarkshire 4 0.05x
Oxfordshire 4 0.24x
Lincolnshire 3 0.07x
Northamptonshire 3 0.12x
Staffordshire 2 0.02x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.14x
Hertfordshire 1 0.05x
Isle of Man 1 0.20x
Merionethshire 1 0.20x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x
Shropshire 1 0.04x
Westmorland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth Charles The in Devon leads with 64 Canns recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.79x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth Charles The 64 25.79x
Barnstaple 46 52.03x
Morchard Bishop 44 374.47x
Plymouth St Andrew 38 8.76x
Tintagel 38 455.64x
Wymondham 35 82.28x
Islington London 30 1.14x
Lambeth 29 1.23x
Northam 28 68.21x
Crediton 24 44.97x
Exeter St Edmund 24 197.53x
Exeter St Sidwell 24 18.60x
Exeter St Thomas The 23 40.06x
Brampford Speke 22 489.98x
Hackney London 22 1.45x
Stoke Damerel 22 5.58x
Tiverton 21 21.64x
Hammersmith London 20 3.00x
St Pancras London 20 0.92x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 19 70.37x
Tamerton Foliott 19 175.28x
Bedminster 18 4.40x
Dawlish 18 42.84x
Gwithian 18 316.34x
Hartland 18 102.68x
Laxfield 18 219.24x
Tendring 18 229.30x
Camberwell 17 0.98x
Morwenstow 17 226.36x
Newton Abbot St Mary 17 35.98x
Paddington London 17 1.71x
Walthamstow 17 8.84x
Woolfardisworthy 17 208.33x
Colebrooke 16 243.53x
Swansea Town 16 4.14x
Bermondsey 15 1.86x
Bideford 15 24.86x
Burrington 15 209.21x
Newington 15 1.50x
Bradworthy 14 170.32x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 2.80x
Brixham 14 21.45x
Drewsteignton 14 187.67x
Ecclesall Bierlow 14 2.57x
Newhaven 14 37.78x
North Petherwyn 14 175.88x
South Tawton 14 120.48x
Wendling 14 419.16x
Bristol St Paul In 13 9.19x
Kensington London 13 0.86x
Kilkhampton 13 143.96x
Moreton Hampstead 13 89.29x
Ottery St Mary 13 35.18x
Cardiff St Mary 12 4.62x
Chawleigh 12 192.93x
Deptford St Paul 12 1.69x
Diss 12 33.65x
Exeter St David 12 24.94x
North Tawton 12 69.36x
Plumstead 12 3.90x
Portsea 12 1.10x
Throwleigh 12 408.16x
Warrington 12 3.15x
Cramlington 11 20.67x
Fremington 11 96.15x
Gwennap 11 19.03x
Heigham 11 4.93x
Sandford 11 79.88x
Westleigh 11 239.65x
Clase 10 5.71x
East Molesey 10 32.69x
Exeter St Paul 10 89.69x
Huntspill 10 56.09x
Kirkdale 10 1.85x
Lanteglos 10 70.62x
Pitminster 10 78.13x
Portishead 10 30.89x
St Marylebone London 10 0.69x
St Woollos 10 4.58x
West Ham 10 0.85x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cann surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 201
Elizabeth 121
Sarah 75
Ellen 72
Emma 68
Ann 57
Eliza 54
Jane 40
Alice 38
Annie 30
Emily 25
Florence 25
Susan 25
Louisa 24
Fanny 21
Edith 20
Caroline 19
Bessie 18
Hannah 18
Harriet 14
Martha 14
Grace 13
Margaret 13
Amelia 11
Jessie 11
Maria 11
Beatrice 10
Lucy 10
Anne 9
Catherine 9
Agnes 8
Charlotte 8
Gertrude 8
Laura 8
Minnie 8
Amy 7
Clara 7
Harriett 7
Julia 7
Maud 7
Ada 6
Anna 6
Frances 6
Isabella 6
Rose 6
Bertha 5
Esther 5
Matilda 5
Bridget 4
Eleanor 4

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cann surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 218
John 179
George 105
James 93
Thomas 66
Charles 56
Frederick 42
Robert 42
Samuel 36
Walter 32
Henry 31
Richard 29
Alfred 25
Joseph 23
Arthur 16
Frank 15
Wm. 15
Edward 14
Albert 13
Edwin 12
Mark 11
Ernest 10
Francis 10
Benjamin 8
Daniel 7
Harry 7
Peter 7
Sidney 6
Stephen 6
Abraham 5
Fred 5
Frederic 5
Geo. 5
Isaac 5
Philip 5
Edgar 4
Fredk. 4
Fredrick 4
Herbert 4
Joshua 4
Willie 4
Chas. 3
Edmund 3
Jno. 3
Lewis 3
Martin 3
Reuben 3
Tom 3
Archibald 2
Robt. 2

FAQ

Cann surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cann surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,761 people were recorded with the Cann surname. That placed it at #1,614 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cann surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,344 in 2016. That gives Cann a modern rank of #2,033.

What does the Cann surname mean?

An Irish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic word "ceann," meaning "head" or "chief," likely referring to a headland.

What does the Cann map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cann bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.