Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,201

Canan

Canan /dʒaːˈnan/

“beloved”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
C
Contents§1–§9
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6As a first name
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce Canan?

Canan

IPA /dʒaːˈnan/

The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Canan mean?

Canan is a word from Persian meaning “beloved, darling”, from the same root as can, “soul”. In classical Ottoman poetry the beloved is called canan, and in Sufi language the word refers to God. Today it is a common girl’s name and, rarely, a boy’s name.1

Canan is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Canan made of?

Canan is a single Persian root: canan (canan: beloved (Persian)).

Canan root canan canan: beloved (Persian) PERSIAN cānān “beloved, darling; in oldSufi usage God” Canan canan root canan: beloved (Persian) cānān PERSIAN “beloved, darling; in old Sufiusage God”
Canan: parts and root words
  • cānān Persian — beloved, darling; in old Sufi usage God1

How was the name Canan formed?

Canan is the word canan (“canan: beloved (Persian)”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Who are some well-known people named Canan?

  1. Sinan Canan researcher 1972–
  2. Esat Canan politician 1950–
  3. Tahir Canan tailor 1953–
  4. İbrahim Canan author 1940–2009
  5. Erhan Canan cinematographer 1944–
  6. Hüsniye Canan researcher
  7. Safa Canan association football player
  8. Selime Canan researcher

People surnamed Canan as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.

Is Canan also a first name?

Yes. Canan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “beloved”.

Canan as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: canan accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Canan accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Canan

Q1

What does the surname Canan mean?

Canan is a word from Persian meaning “beloved, darling”, from the same root as can, “soul”. In classical Ottoman poetry the beloved is called canan, and in Sufi language the word refers to God. Today it is a common girl’s name and, rarely, a boy’s name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Canan?

The root word of Canan is cānān (Persian): “beloved, darling; in old Sufi usage God”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Canan?

Ca·nan, 2 syllables; IPA: /dʒaːˈnan/.