Girl · #13,427 in 2026

Kandy

Kandy is a major city located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau. Kandy is the administrative capital of the Central Province, and considered as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, due to its architectural heritage.

Current Rank
#13,427
Peak Rank
#709 (1965)
Total Babies
5K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1944
First Year
2024
Last Year
1965
Peak Year
#709
Peak Rank
5K
Total Count
76
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kandy

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Kandy is a major city located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau. Kandy is the administrative capital of the Central Province, and considered as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, due to its architectural heritage.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The city and the region have been known by many different names and versions of those names. Some scholars suggest that the original name of Kandy was Katubulu Nuwara located near the present Watapuluwa . However, the more popular historical name is Senkadagala or Senkadagalapura, officially Senkadagala Siriwardhana Maha Nuwara (meaning 'great city of Senkadagala of growing resplendence'), generally shortened to 'Maha Nuwara'. According to folklore, this name originated from one of the several possible sources. One being the city was named after a brahmin with the name Senkanda who lived in a
Origin & history
See also: History of Sri Lanka

The Story of Kandy

Kandy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1944, with 13 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1965, when 193 Kandys were born — ranking #709 that year. As of 2026, Kandy ranks #13,427 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5K Kandys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Names that sound like Kandy

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kandy 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 Kandy

What does the name Kandy mean?
Kandy is a major city located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau. Kandy is the administrative capital of the Central Province, and considered as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, due to its architectural heritage.
How popular is Kandy in 2026?
In 2026, Kandy ranks #13,427 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Kandy most popular?
Kandy reached its peak popularity in 1965, ranking #709 that year with 193 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Kandy most popular?
Kandy has historically been most popular in South Dakota, Idaho, Iowa. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kandy.
Is Kandy a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Kandy is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Kandy?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kandy include Ivey, Jenni, Sherita. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Ivey
Peak #708
👧
Jenni
Peak #708
👧
Sherita
Peak #708
👧
Renada
Peak #708
👧
Sky
Peak #710
👧
Amia
Peak #708
👧
Breann
Peak #708
👧
Cielo
Peak #710

About the name Kandy

Kandy is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1944 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Kandy's peak popularity came in 1965 when it ranked #709. Use the chart and map above to compare Kandy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.