Kandia
A feminine given name of Latin origin meaning "candid" or "white".
Name Census estimates that about 19 living Americans carry the first name Kandia. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 75.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Kandia today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kandia births was 1977 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kandia. 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 Kandia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
19
~ 1 in 18,039,702 Americans
Peak year
1977
10 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1977 SSA rank
#6,340
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Kandia
Kandia is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 20 total registrations, 5 (25.0%) were male and 15 (75.0%) were female.
Kandia as a male name
- Ranked #6,340 in 1977
- 5 male births in 1977
- Peak: 1977 (5 births)
Kandia as a female name
- Ranked #14,557 in 1996
- 5 female births in 1996
- Peak: 1975 (5 births)
Popularity
Kandia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kandia from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Kandia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kandia 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 Kandia 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 Kandia
The given name Kandia has its origins traced back to ancient Greece, where it was derived from the Greek word "kandeia," meaning "candlelight" or "illumination." This name gained popularity during the classical era, particularly in regions such as Athens and the surrounding Attic territories.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kandia can be found in the writings of the renowned Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. In his work "The Histories," Herodotus mentions a woman named Kandia, who was a priestess in the temple of Athena in the city of Delphi.
During the Hellenistic period, which spanned from the 4th to 1st century BC, the name Kandia became more widely used across the Greek-speaking world. It was particularly popular among the upper classes and nobility, with several notable individuals bearing this name.
One such figure was Kandia of Corinth, a renowned philosopher and poet who lived in the 3rd century BC. Her works, though largely lost to time, were highly regarded by her contemporaries and influenced the intellectual discourse of the era.
In the 2nd century AD, a woman named Kandia of Alexandria gained recognition as a skilled physician and healer. Her contributions to the field of medicine were documented in various texts, and she was celebrated for her dedication to treating patients from all walks of life.
During the Byzantine era, which lasted from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Kandia continued to be used, albeit less frequently. One notable bearer of this name was Kandia Palaiologina, a princess of the Palaiologos dynasty who lived in the 14th century. She was renowned for her beauty and intelligence, and played a significant role in the political intrigues of the Byzantine court.
In the 5th century AD, a woman named Kandia of Cyprus was revered as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. She was known for her piety, charity, and unwavering faith, and her life and teachings inspired many followers throughout the centuries.
These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the name Kandia throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and cultural significance across various periods and regions of the ancient world.
People
Kandia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kandia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kandia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kandia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kandia 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 18,039,702 US residents.
Is Kandia a common name?
We classify Kandia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kandia most popular?
The single biggest year for Kandia was 1977, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kandia is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kandia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kandia a female name?
Yes, 75.0% of people registered as Kandia 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.
Is Kandia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kandia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kandia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Kandia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.