Channing is an English surname of uncertain origin, usually explained as "young wolf" from an Old French nickname or as "people of Cana" from an Irish clan name. The abolitionist preacher William Ellery Channing made it a respected New England name, and the actor Channing Tatum brought it back into fashion. Channing entered the US top 1000 in 2010, peaked at number 515 in 2012 and has since dropped to number 1772 among boys' names in 2025.