Kanan is of Arabic origin, meaning 'generous' or 'bountiful'. It's also found in Turkish and Indian cultures. In the Quran, it's one of the names of Paradise. The name gained popularity through the Star Wars franchise, where Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi Knight, played a significant role.
The name Kanan experienced significant growth in popularity from 2015 onwards, with a substantial increase in the number of births each year until 2022, reaching an all-time high of 224 births that year. Before 2015, the popularity of the name was quite low and fluctuating, with fewer than 39 births per year on average between 1991 and 2014. The sudden surge in popularity since 2015 has led to a total of 1427 births named Kanan from 1991 to 2023.