Kandra
Feminine name derived from Sanskrit meaning "blossom" or "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 1,220 living Americans carry the first name Kandra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kandra today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kandra births was 1988 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kandra. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 280,946 Americans
Peak year
1988
60 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2013 SSA rank
#13,881
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Kandra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kandra from the 1940s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 415 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kandra 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 Kandra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kandras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Kandra, while Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kandra
The name Kandra is derived from the Sanskrit word "kandra," which means "cavity" or "hollow." It is believed to have originated in ancient India, where it was initially used as a descriptive term for geographical features such as caves or valleys.
Over time, the word "kandra" evolved into a personal name, likely bestowed upon individuals who resided near or were associated with such natural formations. The earliest recorded instances of the name Kandra date back to the 6th century CE, where it appears in several Hindu scriptures and texts.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Kandra was Kandra Swami, a revered Hindu monk and spiritual leader who lived in the 9th century CE. He is credited with establishing several ashrams and promoting the teachings of non-violence and compassion throughout the Indian subcontinent.
In the 12th century, the name Kandra gained prominence with the birth of Kandra Devi, a powerful queen who ruled over the Chahamana dynasty in what is now Rajasthan, India. Her reign was marked by significant territorial expansion and the construction of numerous temples and fortresses.
Another historical figure of note was Kandra Bhatta, a celebrated Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 16th century. His contributions to the fields of trigonometry and planetary motion were highly influential during the medieval period.
Moving forward in time, Kandra Rao was a renowned Indian scholar and linguist of the 18th century. He is best known for his extensive work in preserving and documenting various Indian languages and dialects, as well as his translations of ancient Sanskrit texts.
Lastly, Kandra Ghosh was a prominent Bengali writer and social reformer of the 19th century. Her writings, which advocated for women's education and social equality, played a pivotal role in shaping the Bengali Renaissance movement of the time.
While the name Kandra has its roots in ancient India, it has since transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, with individuals bearing this name found across various regions and communities around the world.
People
Kandra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kandra 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
Kandra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kandra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,220 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kandra 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 280,946 US residents.
Is Kandra a common name?
We classify Kandra as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,340 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kandra most popular?
The single biggest year for Kandra was 1988, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kandra is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kandra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kandra 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.