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Cann Family History

Cann Surname Meaning

English (Devon): habitational name from Cann, a place in Dorset named from Old English canna ‘can, cup’, used in the transferred sense of a deep valley or a topographic name from the same word used elsewhere in southwestern England.

Alternatively, it may originate from Middle English canne ‘can, vessel’, perhaps a metonymic occupational name denoting a maker of vessels for holding liquids.

Irish: shortened form of McCann.

Americanized form of German Kann and Kahn.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Cann family from?

You can see how Cann families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cann family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cann families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,045 Cann families living in Devon. This was about 34% of all the recorded Cann's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Cann families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cann surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cann ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cann. 8% of Cann men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Cann women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cann were Builders Labourer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Cann | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Farmer
    7%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Cann family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 154,000 census records available for the last name Cann. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cann census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cann

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Cann. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cann immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Cann. For the veterans among your Cann ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cann military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cann family history

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What is the average Cann lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Cann life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Cann in 1943 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cann

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cann ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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