Kanan is a Sanskrit name meaning "forest" or "garden", used in India for both sexes, and it also appears as a surname and place name in several cultures. American boys have mostly received it from television: Kanan Jarrus is a Jedi in Star Wars Rebels, and Kanan Stark is a central figure of the crime series Power, whose prequel Raising Kanan began in 2021. Kanan entered the US top 1000 in 2022 at number 993 and stands at number 1109 in 2025.