Cannie
A Scottish feminine diminutive of "Candida" meaning "fair", "bright", or "white".
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Cannie. It is a predominantly female name (97.8% of registrations). The average person named Cannie today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cannie births was 1893 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cannie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cannie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1893
11 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1918 SSA rank
#4,265
Tracked since 1888
Gender
Gender distribution for Cannie
Cannie leans heavily female at 97.8% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Cannie as a male name
- Ranked #4,265 in 1918
- 5 male births in 1918
- Peak: 1918 (5 births)
Cannie as a female name
- Ranked #10,712 in 1982
- 5 female births in 1982
- Peak: 1893 (11 births)
Popularity
Cannie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cannie from the 1880s through to the 1980s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 57 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cannie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cannie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cannies live
Origin
Meaning and history of Cannie
The name Cannie is believed to have its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the word "ceannan" which means "kind" or "gentle." It is a diminutive form of the name Canna, which is also a Scottish name.
The earliest recorded use of the name Cannie dates back to the 16th century in Scotland, where it was primarily used as a nickname or a term of endearment. It was often given to children who displayed a gentle and affectionate nature.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Cannie was Cannie Macdonald, a Scottish woman who lived in the late 16th century. She is mentioned in historical records as a midwife and healer in the Highlands of Scotland.
In the 17th century, the name Cannie appears in several Scottish literary works, including the poetry of Robert Burns. Burns used the name to describe a kind-hearted and gentle character in his poem "The Twa Dogs."
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Cannie was relatively uncommon but still used occasionally in Scotland and parts of Northern England. One notable bearer of the name was Cannie Mackenzie (1792-1878), a Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded several schools and charitable organizations in her hometown of Inverness.
Another prominent figure with the name Cannie was Cannie Shand (1857-1932), a Scottish suffragette and women's rights activist. She was a leading figure in the campaign for women's suffrage in Scotland and was arrested several times for her involvement in protests and demonstrations.
In the 20th century, the name Cannie saw a slight resurgence in popularity, particularly in Scotland and among Scottish diaspora communities around the world. Cannie Millar (1914-2001), a Scottish actress and singer, was known for her performances on stage and screen.
While the name Cannie is still relatively uncommon, it continues to be used occasionally in Scotland and other parts of the UK, often as a way to honor Scottish heritage and traditions.
People
Cannie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cannie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cannie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cannie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cannie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Cannie a common name?
We classify Cannie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 230 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cannie most popular?
The single biggest year for Cannie was 1893, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cannie is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cannie a female name?
Yes, 97.8% of people registered as Cannie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.