Kan Family History

Kan Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 闞 meaning ‘overlook’ in ancient Chinese: habitational name from the placename Kan (阚) the name of a fief (located in present-day Wenshang in Shandong province) granted to Zhi an official in the state of Qi (located mainly in present-day Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 簡 see Jian.

Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 甘 and 干 see Gan 1 and Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 靳 see Jin.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄞 see Yin 6. Cambodian: written កាន់ from a Khmer word meaning ‘to hold something’.

Turkish: ornamental name from kan ‘descent family’. Czech (Káň): from kanit meaning ‘to slobber or slaver’ and by extension ‘to gossip’ hence a nickname for a gossip.

Czech: variant of Káňa (see Kana) a nickname meaning ‘buzzard’. North German: variant of Kahn. This surname is very rare in Germany. Dutch: from Middle Dutch kan(ne) can(ne) ‘tankard flagon pitcher’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such vessels: potter or a pewterer. In some cases possibly also an American shortened form of Dutch Van Kan: habitational name for someone from Kanne in Belgian Limburg. Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Cohen.

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

Similar surnames: Pan, Kam, Han, Yan, Man, Kann, Ban, Wan, Fan, Van

20K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
22K	Military Records
9K	Immigration Records
10K	Census and Voter Lists
3K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Kan family from?

You can see how Kan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kan families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 37 Kan families living in Ontario. This was about 36% of all the recorded Kan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Kan families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Kan

What did your Kan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cook was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Kan.

View Census Data for Kan

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.

Cook

43%

Manager

29%

Carpenter

29%

What Kan family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 10K census records available for the last name Kan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Kan

Passenger List

There are 9K immigration records available for the last name Kan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kan immigration records

Military Records

There are 22K military records available for the last name Kan. For the veterans among your Kan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kan family history

Discover More

What is the average Kan lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Kan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Kan in 1963 was 81, and 63 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kan family tree

Explore Your Tree

Search for another surname

Kan Surname Meaning

Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 甘 and 干 see Gan 1 and Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 靳 see Jin.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄞 see Yin 6. Cambodian: written កាន់ from a Khmer word meaning ‘to hold something’.

Turkish: ornamental name from kan ‘descent family’. Czech (Káň): from kanit meaning ‘to slobber or slaver’ and by extension ‘to gossip’ hence a nickname for a gossip.

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

Where is the Kan family from?

What did your Kan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Cook was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Kan.

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.

Cook

43%

Manager

29%

Carpenter

29%

What Kan family records will you find?

What is the average Kan lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Kan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 1980. The average life expectancy for Kan in 1963 was 81, and 63 in 2004.

Kan Family History

Kan Surname Meaning

65,000 record(s) for Kan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Kan family from?

What did your Kan ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Kan family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Kan family history

What is the average Kan lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kan family tree

Search for another surname

Kan Surname Meaning

65,000 record(s) for Kan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Kan family from?

What did your Kan ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

What Kan family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Kan family history

What is the average Kan lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kan family tree

Search for another surname