2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kanon
A surname derived from the Greek word "kanon" meaning "rule" or "standard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kanon. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kanon surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Kanon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kanon
The surname KANON is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "kanone," which means "cannon" or "gun." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the manufacturing or handling of cannons or firearms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KANON surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans KANON was listed as a resident in the year 1587. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors may have been employed in the city's thriving metalworking industry, which included the production of cannons and other weaponry during that era.
Another early mention of the KANON surname appears in the records of the German town of Köln (Cologne), where a family by the name of KANON is documented as residing in the late 16th century. The name may have been associated with a particular trade or occupation related to the production of cannons or other artillery.
In the 17th century, the KANON surname can be found in various regions of Germany, including the states of Bavaria and Saxony. Notable individuals with this surname during this time period include Johannes KANON, a respected scholar and theologian who lived in the city of Leipzig from 1625 to 1692.
As the centuries progressed, the KANON surname spread across different parts of Europe, with some individuals bearing this name establishing themselves in countries such as France, Austria, and Switzerland. One prominent figure was the Swiss mathematician and physicist Johann Georg KANON (1729-1798), who made significant contributions to the field of optics and was a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences.
Another notable bearer of the KANON surname was the German composer and music theorist Johann Peter KANON (1773-1829), who was widely regarded for his compositions and his influential treatise on musical composition, "Der vollkommene Kapellmeister" (The Perfect Music Director).
While the KANON surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the earliest records and historical accounts of this surname can be traced back to its German origins, where it was likely associated with the production or handling of cannons and other firearms during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kanon
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kanon bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kanon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 96
- Black or African American7.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kanon
Kanon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,953 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 6,953 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kanon surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #154,907 | #147,954 | 4.5% |
| Count | 105 | 112 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kanon bearers went from 105 to 112 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 6,953 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kanon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kanon?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kanon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kanon?
Kanon ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Kanon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kanon.
Has Kanon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kanon went from 105 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kanon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kanon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kanon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Black (7.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kanon (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kanon mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word "kanon" meaning "rule" or "standard." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kanon (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Kanon?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Kanon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.