NameCensus.

UK surname

Cannan

A surname derived from the Biblical place name Canaan.

In the 1881 census there were 169 people recorded with the Cannan surname, ranking it #14,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 242, ranked #17,177, down from #14,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Glasgow and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kilwinning West and Blacklands, Powys and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cannan is 250 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.2%.

1881 census count

169

Ranked #14,324

Modern count

242

2016, ranked #17,177

Peak year

2015

250 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cannan had 169 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016, ranked #17,177.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 239 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cannan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cannan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cannan 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 166 #11,986
1861 historical 205 #11,769
1881 historical 169 #14,324
1891 historical 179 #16,198
1901 historical 199 #15,173
1911 historical 239 #13,321
1997 modern 205 #17,370
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 211 #17,603
2001 modern 219 #16,967
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 233 #16,394
2004 modern 237 #16,283
2005 modern 235 #16,335
2006 modern 233 #16,560
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 242 #16,432
2009 modern 239 #16,951
2010 modern 245 #17,013
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 235 #17,242
2013 modern 240 #17,251
2014 modern 249 #16,954
2015 modern 250 #16,803
2016 modern 242 #17,177

Geography

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Where Cannans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Glasgow, Bradford, Liverpool and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kilwinning West and Blacklands, Powys, Allerdale, South Lakeland and Kilwinning Central and North. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Glasgow Lanark
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kilwinning West and Blacklands North Ayrshire
2 Powys 018 Powys
3 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
4 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland
5 Kilwinning Central and North North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cannan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cannan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cannan, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cannan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cannan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cannan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cannan is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cannan falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cannan 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 Cannan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cannan

The surname Cannan is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words 'cana' meaning a can or cup and 'mann' meaning man, thus signifying a maker or seller of cans or cups. The name is believed to have originated in the regions of East Anglia and Essex in England, where the trade of metalworking was prevalent during the Medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cannan can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a certain Robert Cannan is mentioned as a taxpayer. The Cannan family is also referenced in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327, indicating their presence in the region during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Cannan name appears in various records, including the Parish Registers of Dedham, Essex, where a Robert Cannan was baptized in 1589. The Visitation of Essex in 1634 also mentions a Robert Cannan, a resident of Dedham, who bore the family's coat of arms featuring three silver cups on a blue field.

Notable individuals bearing the Cannan surname include John Cannan (1600-1676), a prominent merchant and landowner in Dedham, Essex, who served as a Justice of the Peace. Another early bearer of the name was William Cannan (1650-1721), a renowned clockmaker from Colchester, Essex, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry of the time.

In the 19th century, Edwin Cannan (1861-1935) was a renowned British economist and historian who taught at the University of London and authored several influential works on economic theory and history. His contemporary, Charles Cannan (1863-1935), was a respected English lawyer and legal scholar who served as the Secretary of the Chancery Bar Association.

One of the most notable figures with the Cannan surname was Gilbert Cannan (1884-1955), a British novelist and playwright whose works often explored themes of social satire and unconventional relationships. His novel, "Mendel: A Story of Youth," published in 1916, was considered a groundbreaking work in its depiction of homosexuality.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cannan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cannan 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. Isle of Man leads with 47 Cannans recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.55x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 47 123.55x
Lancashire 37 1.52x
Middlesex 17 0.83x
Yorkshire 17 0.84x
Staffordshire 11 1.59x
Westmorland 11 24.43x
Lanarkshire 10 1.51x
Warwickshire 10 1.94x
Lincolnshire 8 2.44x
Surrey 7 0.70x
Stirlingshire 6 7.94x
Midlothian 5 1.82x
Bedfordshire 4 3.77x
Kent 4 0.57x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 13.49x
Glamorgan 3 0.84x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.05x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.54x
Angus 1 0.53x
Cheshire 1 0.22x
Cumberland 1 0.57x
Essex 1 0.25x
Monmouthshire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Michael in Isle of Man leads with 23 Cannans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2987.01x.

Place Total Index
Michael 23 2987.01x
Wolverhampton 11 20.69x
Birmingham 10 5.81x
Bride 10 1923.08x
Hendon 10 135.69x
Bradford 8 16.28x
Hay Hutton In Hay 8 5333.33x
Bromley London 7 15.53x
Broughton In Salford 7 31.49x
Liverpool 7 4.74x
Bermondsey 6 9.84x
Blackburn 6 9.28x
Sheffield 6 9.28x
St Ninians 6 80.11x
Crichton 5 649.35x
Garston 4 55.79x
Govan 4 2.44x
Maughold 4 136.05x
Northill 4 404.04x
Onchan 4 36.50x
Spalding 4 61.54x
Stamford St Mary 4 606.06x
Widnes 4 22.82x
Balmaclellan 3 454.55x
Barony 3 1.79x
Oldham 3 3.82x
Strickland Kettle 3 697.67x
Toxteth Park 3 3.64x
Braddan 2 96.15x
Greenwich 2 6.13x
Lonan 2 86.96x
Prestwich 2 33.00x
Rutherglen 2 20.58x
Ystradyfodwg 2 6.39x
Ballaugh 1 147.06x
Cardiff St Mary 1 5.09x
Carsphairn 1 294.12x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 13.72x
Drumoak 1 153.85x
Eskdale Wasdale 1 263.16x
German 1 48.31x
Glasgow 1 0.85x
Holy Trinity 1 2.05x
Idle 1 10.63x
King Edward 1 45.66x
Kirkdale 1 2.45x
Lambeth 1 0.56x
Lee 1 9.85x
Liff Benvie 1 3.47x
Middlewich 1 107.53x
New Malton 1 41.15x
St Clement Cambridge 1 185.19x
St Edward Cambridge 1 243.90x
Wentllooge St Bride 1 555.56x
West Ham 1 1.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 12
Ann 8
Mary 7
Ellen 5
Catherine 4
Bridget 3
Jane 3
Margt. 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Eleanor 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Margaret 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Cath. 1
Dorothea 1
Dorothy 1
Eliz. 1
Elizbth. 1
Ellanor 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Katie 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Minnie 1
Rosina 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cannan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cannan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 169 people were recorded with the Cannan surname. That placed it at #14,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cannan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016. That gives Cannan a modern rank of #17,177.

What does the Cannan surname mean?

A surname derived from the Biblical place name Canaan.

What does the Cannan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cannan 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.