# Can (name)

Can (Turkish:) 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
* 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