Dandra
A feminine name of American origin meaning "defender" or "protector".
Name Census estimates that about 625 living Americans carry the first name Dandra. It is a predominantly female name (91.0% of registrations). The average person named Dandra today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dandra births was 1990 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dandra. 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.
People living today
625
~ 1 in 548,407 Americans
Peak year
1990
30 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
1999 SSA rank
#10,235
Tracked since 1959
Gender
Gender distribution for Dandra
Dandra leans heavily female at 91.0% of total registrations, but 60 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dandra as a male name
- Ranked #10,235 in 1999
- 5 male births in 1999
- Peak: 1987 (8 births)
Dandra as a female name
- Ranked #13,815 in 2010
- 7 female births in 2010
- Peak: 1990 (30 births)
Popularity
Dandra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dandra from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 257 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dandra 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 Dandra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dandras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dandra
The name Dandra is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language of ancient India. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "dandra," which means "thunderbolt" or "lightning." This suggests that the name may have been associated with strength, power, and natural forces in its earliest origins.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Dandra can be found in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. In this text, Dandra is mentioned as the name of a powerful warrior who fought alongside the Pandava princes during the great war of Kurukshetra. This historical reference dates back to around the 8th century BCE, indicating that the name has been in use for over 2,500 years.
In ancient Hindu mythology, there is also a figure known as Dandra, who is described as a celestial being or a minor deity associated with thunder and lightning. This mythological connection further reinforces the name's association with natural forces and power.
The earliest known historical figure with the name Dandra was Dandra Sahukar, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the Deccan region of India during the 16th century. He is recorded as having made significant contributions to the construction of temples and charitable institutions in the region.
Another notable individual with the name Dandra was Dandra Parag, a Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 17th century. He is known for his literary works, including commentaries on ancient Sanskrit texts and his own poetic compositions.
In more recent history, Dandra Vijay was an Indian politician and social activist who served as a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian parliament) from 1998 to 2004. He was born in 1945 and was known for his work in promoting education and social welfare programs.
Dandra Shikhar was an Indian mountaineer who achieved the notable feat of summiting Mount Everest in 1984. He was born in 1958 and his successful ascent of the world's highest peak brought him national recognition in India.
While the name Dandra has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu culture, it has also been adopted and used in various regions and communities across India over the centuries. Its meaning and historical associations with power, strength, and natural forces have contributed to its enduring use as a given name.
People
Dandra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dandra as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dandra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dandra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 625 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dandra 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 548,407 US residents.
Is Dandra a common name?
We classify Dandra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 665 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dandra most popular?
The single biggest year for Dandra was 1990, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dandra is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dandra a female name?
Yes, 91.0% of people registered as Dandra 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.