Canon is an English word name, from the Greek kanon meaning "rule" or "measuring rod", which came to describe the standard of scripture and the title of a cathedral clergyman. For many parents it is simply a slimmer spelling of Cannon, which gives it a bold, Western ring. Canon peaked at number 1349 in the United States in 2014 and ranks 2211 in 2025 with 64 boys given the name.