Can (name) explained

Can (pronounced as /tr/) is a common Turkish, Azerbaijani and Circassian given name and surname, meaning spirit, life, soul or heart. Turkish and Azerbaijani use is derived from the Persian word Jan (Persian: جان) and Circassian use is derived from Circassian word Janberk. In Turkish, the name Can is pronounced similarly to the common English name John. Džan is a variant in use in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Given name

First name

• Can Akın (born 1983), Turkish basketball player
• Can Arat (born 1984), Turkish footballer
• Can Artam (born 1981), Turkish race car driver
• Can Atilla (born 1969), Turkish composer and musician
• Can Ayvazoğlu (born 1979), Turkish volleyball player
• Can Bartu (1936–2019), Turkish basketball player, footballer and columnist
• Pashanim (born 2000), German rapper of Kurdish descent whose real name is Can David Bayram
• Can Bonomo (born 1987), Turkish pop singer
• Can Dündar (born 1961), Turkish journalist, columnist and documentarian
• Can Emre Yücel (born 1983), Turkish footballer
• Can Erdem (born 1987), Turkish footballer
• Can Ergenekan (born 1972), Turkish-American swimmer
• Can Kim Hua, Vietnamese-American professional poker player
• Can Korkmaz (born 1992), Turkish basketball player
• Can Maxim Mutaf (born 1991), Turkish basketball player
• Can Öncü (born 2003), Turkish motorcycle racer
• Can Themba (1924–68), South African short-story writer
• Can Togay (born 1955), Hungarian film director
• Can Yücel (1926–1999), Turkish poet
• Can Yaman, Turkish actor

Middle name

• Coşkun Can Aktan (born 1963), Turkish professor of economics
• Asım Can Gündüz (1955–2016), Turkish rock and blues guitarist
• Emre Can Coşkun (born 1994), Turkish footballer
• Eyüp Can Sağlık, known as Eyüp Can (journalist) (born 1973), Turkish journalist
• Ömer Can Sokullu (born 1988), Turkish footballer
• Bahtiyar Can Vanlı (born 1962), German-Turkish football coach

Chinese and Vietnamese

• Huy Cận (1919–2005), Vietnamese poet
• Kun Can (1612 – after 1674), Chinese painter
• Liu Can (died 318), emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Han Zhao
• Liu Can (Tang dynasty) (died 906), official of the Chinese Tang dynasty
• Ngô Đình Cẩn (1911–64), member of South Vietnam's Diệm government
• Nguyễn Bá Cẩn (1930–2009), former Prime Minister of South Vietnam
• Trịnh Căn (1633–1709), Vietnamese ruler
• Wang Can (177–217), politician, scholar and poet during Chinese Han dynasty
• Wu Can (died 245), official of Eastern Wu during the Chinese Three Kingdoms period
• Yuan Can (420–477), high-level official of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song
• Zhou Can (born 1979), Chinese long jumper
• Zhu Can (died 621), rebel leader during the Chinese Sui dynasty

Surname

• Cem Can (born 1981), Turkish footballer
• Cihan Can (born 1986), Turkish footballer
• Çiğdem Can Rasna (born 1976), Turkish volleyball player
• Derya Can Göçen, Turkish world record holder female free-diver
• Emre Can (born 1994), German footballer
• Emre Can (chess player) (born 1990), Turkish Grand Master chess player
• Erdem Can (born 1980), Turkish basketball coach
• Erkan Can (born 1958), Turkish film and theatre actor
• Eyüp Can (boxer) (born 1964), Turkish boxer
• Melisa Can (born 1984), U.S.-born Turkish female basketball player
• Mustafa Can (born 1969), Swedish author and journalist of Kurdish origin
• Müslüm Can (born 1975), German footballer
• Osman Can, Turkish jurist
• Sena Can (born 2001), Turkish sport shooter
• Sibel Can (born 1970), Turkish folk pop singer
• Şenol Can (born 1983), Turkish footballer
• Yasemin Can (born 1996), Turkish female long-distance runner of Kenyan origin

Cans

• Joacim Cans (born 1970), member of the Swedish band HammerFall