Candi
Candi was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 527th with 360 babies. More babies were named Candi in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Candy) pet form of Candace · English, Meroitic
- Rank in 2025
- Not rankedgirls
- Babies in 2025
- 0girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1980360 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,356babies recorded
What does the name Candi mean?
Candi is a spelling of Candy, pronounced the same way, so it shares Candy's meaning and origin.
Candy is a pet form of Candace (and Candice), and it also suggests the English word candy, "sweets". Candace itself comes from the title kandake used for the queens of ancient Kush and mentioned in Acts 8:27. Wiktionary notes that Candice was influenced by a folk link with Latin candida, "white". Candy was most popular in the US in the 1950s and 1960s.
kdke (kandake) (Meroitic, “title of the queens of Kush”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Candace, Candice, Candi, Kandy.
See also: African names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Candy', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Candace', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Candice', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Candy (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Candi popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2020 | #12,395 | 7 |
| 2010 | #15,318 | 6 |
| 2000 | #4,814 | 24 |
| 1990 | #1,705 | 86 |
| 1980 | #527 | 360 |
| 1970 | #655 | 248 |
| 1960 | #855 | 147 |
| 1950 | #1,731 | 30 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Candi, counting every spelling?
Candi is a spelling of Candy, a name family that had 36 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 36 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candy | 30 | #4,576 | 176 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How old are people named Candi?
About 6,700 people born in the US named Candi are alive today, with a median age of 50; half are between 43 and 59. That makes Candi mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Candi by state
How common Candi was among girls born in each state in 1978–1982, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Arkansas (4.7×), West Virginia (2.7×), Tennessee (2.3×), Mississippi (2.1×), North Carolina (2.0×). In 19 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Candi: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Candi, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Candi
What does Candi mean?
Candi is a spelling of Candy, which means “pet form of Candace” (English, Meroitic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Candi?
Candi was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 527th with 360 babies. More babies were named Candi in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Candi a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Candi in the US.
Where was Candi most popular?
In 1978–1982, Candi was most common in Arkansas (0.78 per 1,000 girls), followed by West Virginia and Tennessee.