Declining since 1985.
Popularity of Kandi since 1945
Babies named Kandi per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 73 |
| 1950s | 537 |
| 1960s | 1,406 |
| 1970s | 1,608 |
| 1980s | 1,385 |
| 1990s | 322 |
| 2000s | 140 |
| 2010s | 76 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Kandi first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1945, but it reached its peak popularity in 1981, when it was given to a notable number of girls. Since 1985, the name has been on a steady decline, reflecting shifting tastes away from the -andi/-endi craze of the 1970s and 1980s. Its trajectory of falling for four decades exemplifies how once-trendy phonetic spellings can quickly date a name. While Kandi never ranked in the top 1000 nationally, it enjoyed a brief vogue in the early 1980s, particularly in southern and midwestern states.
Kandi is a modern phonetic respelling of Candy, which itself originally served as a diminutive of Candace, a name of uncertain origin possibly meaning 'queen mother' in Ethiopian tradition. Alternatively, Candy may be a direct use of the English word for confectionery. The spelling Kandi emerged in mid-20th-century America as part of a trend toward simplified, whimsical spellings of familiar names.
Where Kandi is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kand, Kandi
Sibling names for Kandi
Names that share Kandi's style, for a brother or sister.
