What Canek means
Canek is a boy name of Maya origin meaning "serpent star". It comes from kan (serpent; or k'an (yellow)) + ek' (star); reading uncertain. It is pronounced kah-NEK.
Kan Ek' was the hereditary title of the Itza kings of Petén; Jacinto Canek led a 1761 Maya uprising in Yucatán. Etymology uncertain between 'serpent star' and 'black serpent'. Given to boys in Yucatán.
About this meaning. The etymology is uncertain or disputed. The reading above is the best-supported one; popular baby-name sites often give a more romantic gloss that the dictionaries do not confirm.
Spellings and variants: Kanek, Kan Ek.
Popularity: known but uncommon in Mexico.
Related meanings: star, royalty, warrior.
Canek is one of the indigenous names that Mexican parents have brought back over the last thirty years. Read about Maya names and how they are built.
