Can (name)

Can 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.

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