Candy
Candy is a surname, given name, nickname or stage name. It is often used as a hypocorism for the feminine given name Candace.
Meaning & Origin of Candy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Candy is a surname, given name, nickname or stage name. It is often used as a hypocorism for the feminine given name Candace.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Candy
Candy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1896, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 1,044 Candys were born — ranking #281 that year. As of 2026, Candy ranks #3,759 for baby girls with 40 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 29K Candys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Candy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Candy is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Candy
What does the name Candy mean?
How popular is Candy in 2026?
When was Candy most popular?
In which U.S. states is Candy most popular?
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About the name Candy
Candy is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1896 and has accumulated 29K births in the dataset. Candy's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #278. Use the chart and map above to compare Candy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.