Cassundra
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "to untangle" or "helper of men".
Name Census estimates that about 86 living Americans carry the first name Cassundra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cassundra today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cassundra births was 1971 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cassundra. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cassundra. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
86
~ 1 in 3,985,516 Americans
Peak year
1971
11 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1991 SSA rank
#11,735
Tracked since 1962
Popularity
Cassundra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cassundra from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 47 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cassundra by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cassundra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cassundra
The name Cassundra is a variant of the Greek name Kassandra, which has its roots in ancient Greek mythology. It is derived from the elements 'kekastai', meaning 'to shine', and 'andros', meaning 'man'. The name was borne by the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, who had the gift of prophecy but was cursed by Apollo so that no one would ever believe her predictions.
The earliest recorded use of the name Cassundra can be traced back to ancient Greek literature, where the character of Cassandra appears in various works such as the Iliad by Homer, the Agamemnon by Aeschylus, and the Troades by Euripides. These works depict Cassandra's tragic fate, as she foresaw the destruction of Troy but was unable to convince anyone of her prophecies.
In the Middle Ages, the name Cassundra was relatively uncommon, but it did appear in some historical records. One notable figure was Cassundra of Aragon, a 14th-century Spanish noblewoman who served as the mistress of King Pedro IV of Aragon.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained some popularity, particularly in Italy and France. One famous bearer was Cassundra Fedele, an Italian Renaissance humanist and scholar born in 1465, who was renowned for her knowledge of classical literature and philosophy.
In the 19th century, the name Cassundra saw a resurgence in popularity, largely due to its association with Greek mythology and the romantic literary movement. One notable figure was Cassundra Aurélie Cain, a French poet and novelist born in 1826, who wrote under the pseudonym Claude Vignon.
Another famous Cassundra was Cassundra Vauzanges, a French actress and courtesan born in 1741, who was known for her beauty and wit, and was a prominent figure in Parisian high society during the 18th century.
These are just a few examples of the use of the name Cassundra throughout history, showcasing its rich cultural and literary heritage. While the name has undergone various spellings and variations, its origins in Greek mythology and its association with the tragic figure of Cassandra have endured over time, making it a name with a fascinating and enduring legacy.
People
Cassundra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cassundra as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cassundra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cassundra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 86 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cassundra going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,985,516 US residents.
Is Cassundra a common name?
We classify Cassundra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 98 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cassundra most popular?
The single biggest year for Cassundra was 1971, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cassundra is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cassundra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cassundra in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.