Cannon is an English and Irish surname, from the Middle English canon, a "church official" or clergyman, and from the Irish Ó Canáin; as a first name it is naturally heard as the word for the big gun, which gives it a bold, forceful ring. It fits the style of Colt, Gunner and Maverick that is popular in the American South and West. Cannon ranked number 1163 in 2000, entered the top 1000 in 2003, peaked at number 506 in 2021 and ranks number 722 in 2025.