If Cannon and Gunner are hot for boys, why not this surname that feels slightly more academic?
Thanks to Katie for suggesting Gannon as our Baby Name of the Day.
Gannon isn’t exactly Harvard, so if you’ve never lived near Erie, Pennsylvania, it might not immediately conjure up images of higher education.
But Gannon is, indeed, a four-year university founded back in 1925 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. John Mark Gannon was Erie’s Bishop when the school was established. He was also an Erie native, and a driving force for education in the region.
Gannon seems to have emerged as a surname derived from Mag Fhionnáin – yet another Gaelic appellation related to Finn, and thus meaning fair.
There’s a second – possibly more familiar – meaning to Gannon. Also spelled Ganon, he’s the bad guy in Nintendo’s long-running The Legend of Zelda video game series. Some sources give his full name as Ganondorf. Let’s just say that names ending in -dorf won’t be catching on any time soon.
Between 2002 and 2006, Gannon appeared in the US Top 1000, peaking at #683 in 2003. He’s still in use, just a little bit outside of the rankings today with, Nancy tells us, 154 boys receiving the name in 2009.
Gannon might bring to mind one of these figures, all of whom answered to Mr. Gannon:
- Bill Gannon fought with the Irish Republican Army, taking part in the conflict that sparked the Irish Civil War;
- One Life to Live‘s football-star-turned-district-attorney Hank Gannon appeared on the show for more than a decade. There’s a whole family with the same surname – wife, daughter, long-estranged bad-guy younger brother. Hey, it is a soap opera;
- Before Harry Morgan was Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H, he was Joe Friday’s partner on Dragnet. Morgan played Officer Bill Gannon from 1967 through 1970, and makes other appearances in later incarnations of the series;
- If you happen to be in Davenport, Iowa, you can visit the M.V. Gannon House, the former home of nineteenth century Irish immigrant turned newspaperman, Michael V. Gannon;
- 1968 Western flick A Man Called Gannon lends the name some cowboy cred.
The list goes on, but none of these associations is strong enough to create a lasting impression. Instead, Gannon falls somewhere between preppy surname picks like Brooks and aggressively masculine choices in the key of Slade. Nameberry included Gannon on their list of “good” unusual baby names, in the company of choices like Eben, Lander, and Reeve.
I’m inclined to agree. Gannon doesn’t have enough history to please everyone, but two-syllable, ends-in-n Irish appellations remain popular, and plenty of parents are bored with Ryan and Aidan. The formula continues to dominate the US Top 100. Gannon feels more distinguished than nouveau picks like Baylen, but he still boasts a modern vibe.
I’m a Gannon and I’m proud! Middle school was not so great with the Zelda thing, but we all get older. I get very nice things said about my name almost everyday. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I’m Irish and handsome 🙂
I’m not a fan of the names that just beat you over the head with testosterone. Gannon seems to be one of those names to me. Just has that feel. (probably because of Cannon)
And I’m a Zelda fan 😉
Gatherer — isn’t that a girl’s name 😉
Yes, put me down for meh. Also worn of all the -n ending boys at this point.
Just to add more testosterone to Gannon…
I half-remembered someone named Rick/Mitch Gannon, at first I thought it was a comic book hero’s alias or a political intrigue. (In my search I found it is a common surname for bad-boy’s in romance novels.) Instead I was thinking of former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon.
As for the name, it’s one part too “tough” and one part not “special” enough sound-wise (yet another -on name.)
Not a fan of these kind of names like Gannon, Cannon, Gunner, Hunter.
Skye, I’m on the same page. I remember an article a few months back (before I found Appellation Mountain so I had no one to vent to!) in some magazine that profiled a family and the boys names were Hunter and Trapper. If I remember correctly, Hunter was like 9 and Trapper was 5. I guess the parents wanted to trump the name Hunter…
Next will be Fisher and Farmer! Or maybe Gatherer? 😉
Joy, Fisher’s already here, I know one who’s @ 2.5 years old! Beats Hunter, but not by much. I still think it’s a strange choice either way you look at it.
Fisher, Trapper, Hunter, etc. seem like expectation names to me, right up there with Chastity.
Gatherer. Hmmm, maybe that’s what Hunter and Trapper’s parents would name a daughter! Haha, no I’m guessing they would go with something like Morgan or maybe a really feminine name like Isabella.
If anyone’s read The Hunger Games books, there are some wild names along the lines of Hunter/Gatherer like Glimmer, Clove, Marvel, Cashmere, Gloss, Thresh.
Put me down for meh. Even though I only saw Dragnet a few times in reruns (the color version), Gannon only makes me think of the Harry Morgan character.
The M.V. Gannon House is located in Davenport, Iowa, not Des Moines. As for the name, I personally am getting very tired so seeing just about every 2-syllable Irish or English surname being used as first names for boys. I’ve known quite a few people with the surname Gannon.
Thanks, Patricia – I am relocating the house now!
I do think two-syllable, ends-in-n names feel expected, even when they’re rare. It wouldn’t stop me from using one if it had meaning. That said, I have an irrational affection for names that start with G.
I’m kind of meh about this name. I definitely prefer it over Cannon (yikes, would a brother be Bullet?), but I don’t like it that much. I agree with sadiesadie that I’d rather see Eamon if parents were looking for a more unusual 2-syllable ends-in-n Irish name.
Please, never name your child Eamon.
I’m just curious, why not? What is wrong with Eamon?
Gannon’s alright in my book, but barely. In my neck of the woods this would be misheard as Cannon, a lot. It’s something I would like as a middle name, but not up front. As far as sounds go, again, alright but that similarity would really bother me. I like my kids names to stand apart a little bit. Gannon doesn’t quite fit for me, but he’s better than Cannon for anyone else!
Not a fan of this name. I can see it getting mixed up with Cannon a lot. I would rather see the Irish Eamon if people like the ends in ‘n’ name craze.
I’ve always loved this name. I went to school with a G@nnon… and had a bit of a crush on him. He has a large Irish-American family — his siblings are El1en, *@ndy, Luc@s, C0lleen, and C0ulter. [*His middle name is @ndrew — he doesn’t use his first name and I don’t know that it is, but it starts with a J.] G@nnon was very nice, funny, cute, and that’s what I picture when I hear the name now. Ganny/Gannie is an adorable nickname.
Perhaps this will not surprise you, but I have long adored the name Gannon. My style all the way 🙂