CANNON
The surname Cannon has its roots in the British Isles, primarily in England and Ireland. It is regarded as a status name, originating from the medieval English word canon or the Irish word canán, both signifying a church official or clergyman.
In medieval England the name would have been given as an occupational surname to an individual who worked within a religious household or held a position in the clergy. The derivation does not involve firearms; rather, it reflects clerical association or dignified conduct aligned with the ecclesiastical office of a canon.
The linguistic evolution of the surname traces back to the Latin canon, meaning rule or discipline, which itself comes from the Greek kanon. The term entered Old English in the form canonic following Norman influence. The first documented instance of the name is found in the Cambridgeshire Pipe Rolls of 1177, where a Reginald Canun is recorded during the reign of King Henry XI.
In later centuries, the surname appears in records such as the christening of John Cannon at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, in June 1569. A family coat of arms was granted in 1614 by King James I of England and I of Scotland, described as a red field with a double cotised bend in gold over a black pellet.
Variations of the name include Canon and Channon, and in Ireland it may also be an anglicised form of the Gaelic surnames O'Canain – derived from cana, meaning wolf‑cub – or MacCanannain, meaning son of Canannan.
Over time the surname Cannon has become widespread throughout English‑speaking countries, retaining its association with ecclesiastical heritage while evolving into a common family name.
Typical given names associated with the Cannon surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Helen
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Canon
- Cannan
- Cagnon
- Canen
- Canino
- Canion
- Cannen
- Cannion
- Cannone
- Cagnani
- Cagnino
- Cagnoni
- Cainan
- Camnon
- Canaan
- Canan
- Canin
- Canini
- Cannane
- Cannin
- Cannine
- Cannom
- Cannons
- Cannow
- Cano
- Canoe
- Canonne
- Canow
- Canyon
- Caunan
- Cauneen
- Coanan
- Coenen
- Cohnan
- Cohnen
- Conan
- Coneen
- Conen
- Conian
- Conin
- Conine
- Conion
- Connan
- Connen
- Connin
- Connon
- Connone
- Conon
- Coonan
- Cownan
- Coynane
- Cuenin
- Cugnoni
- Cunan
- Cunane
- Cuneen
- Cunen
- Cunin
- Cunion
- Cunnan
- Cunnane
- Cunneen
- Cunnen
- Cunnian
- Cunnin
- Cunnion
- Cunnon
- Cunnun
- Gagnon
- Gainan
- Gainon
- Ganan
- Ganin
- Ganino
- Gannan
- Gannen
- Gannin
- Gannion
- Gannnon
- Gannon
- Ganon
- Ganouni
- Gaunon
- Gaynan
- Gaynon
- Ghannan
- Gonano
- Gonen
- Gonian
- Gonin
- Gonnan
- Gonon
- Goonan
- Goonnan
- Goonon
- Gounon
- Guagnini
- Gueenan
- Guenane
- Guenin
- Guennouni
- Guenoun
- Gugnani
- Guignion
- Guignon
- Guinan
- Guinane
- Guinian
- Guinnane
- Guinon
- Gunan
- Gunion
- Gunnan
- Gunnane
- Gunnen
- Gunnin
- Gunnion
- Gunnon
- Guynan
- Kanaan
- Kanan
- Kanane
- Kanani
- Kaneen
- Kanina
- Kanini
- Kannan
- Kanno
- Kannon
- Kanon
- Kanoun
- Keanan
- Keanen
- Keannan
- Keanon
- Keenan
- Keenen
- Keenin
- Keennan
- Keenon
- Keinan
- Keinnan
- Kenaan
- Kenan
- Keneen
- Kenen
- Kenin
- Kenina
- Kenion
- Kennan
- Kennen
- Kennian
- Kennin
- Kennion
- Kennon
- Kenon
- Kenynon
- Keunen
- Keynan
- Keynon
- Khanon
- Kienan
- Kinan
- Kinane
- Kinani
- Kinene
- Kinina
- Kinini
- Kinnan
- Kinnane
- Kinneen
- Kinnen
- Kinnin
- Kinnon
- Kinon
- Koehnen
- Koenen
- Kohnen
- Konan
- Konen
- Konini
- Konon
- Koonan
- Koonin
- Kuenen
- Kuhnen
- Kunan
- Kunene
- Kunin
- Kynan
- Queenan
- Queenen
- Queenin
- Queenon
- Quenen
- Quenin
- Quenon
- Quignon
- Quinain
- Quinan
- Quinen
- Quinian
- Quinin
- Quinion
- Quinnan
- Quinnen
- Quinnin
- Quinon
- Canoo
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cannon in...
Braille
⠉⠁⠝⠝⠕⠝
Morse
-.-..--.-.----.
Semaphore
There are approximately 12,740 people named Cannon in the UK. That makes it the 707th most common surname in Britain. Around 196 in a million people in Britain are named Cannon.
Surname type: Status name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Cannon
- Nick Cannon - American rapper, actor and comedian
- Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon - American comedian and country singer (1912 to 1996)
- Andy Cannon - Football player
- Martha Hughes Cannon - American politician (1857 to 1932)
- George Q. Cannon - Member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and five-time Utah Territory's At-large congressional di (1827 to 1901)
- James Cannon - Rugby union player
- Jim Cannon - Scottish football player
- John Cannon - Historian (1926 to 2012)
- Jim Cannon - Football player (1927 to 1991)
- Philip Cannon - Composer (1929 to 2016)
- J. F. M. Cannon - Botanist (1930 to 2008)
- Alexander Cannon - Psychiatrist, occultist, hypnotist (1896 to 1963)
- Malcolm Cannon - Figure skater
- David Cannon - Athlete
- Les Cannon - Leader of British trade union (1920 to 1970)
- George Cannon - Football player (1891 to 1)
- Frank Cannon - Football player (1888 to 1916)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.