Can (name)

Can ([ˈdʒän]) is a common Turkish given name and surname, meaning spirit, life, or heart. It is derived from the Persian word Jan. In Turkish, the name Can is pronounced just like the common English name John.

Given name

• Asım Can Gündüz (born 1955), Turkish rock and blues guitarist
• Bahtiyar Can Vanlı (born 1962), German-Turkish football coach
• 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 (born 1936), Turkish footballer
• 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 Themba (1924–68), South African short-story writer
• Can Togay (born 1955), Hungarian film director
• Can Yücel (1926–99), Turkish poet
• Cen Can (715–770), Chinese poet
• Coşkun Can Aktan (born 1963), Turkish professor of economics
• Çiğdem Can Rasna (born 1976), Turkish volleyball player
• Ömer Can Sokullu (born 1988), Turkish footballer

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
• Emre Can (born 1994), German footballer of Turkish origin
• Emre Can (chess player) (born 1990), Turkish Grans Master chess player
• Erkan Can (born 1958), Turkish film and theatre actor
• Eyüp Can (boxer) (born 1964), Turkish boxer
• Eyüp Can (journalist) (born 1973), Turkish journalist
• 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 of Turkish origin
• Osman Can, Turkish jurist
• Sibel Can (born 1970), Turkish folk pop singer
• Şenol Can (1983), Turkish footballer

Cans

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