Candy
Girl name · #4556 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Candy? In official American birth records, Candy has been tracked continuously since 1896, giving it 129 years of documented American history.
Candy is currently the #4556 girl name in the United States — 30 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3177, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 60,000 girls born in 2025 was named Candy.
Babies named Candy per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 129-year story
Candy first appears in the Social Security records in 1896, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 1,044 girls were named Candy — good for #281 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Candy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Candy in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Candy is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Candy will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Candy is most common
State-level data for Candy is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Candy
Statistically, parents drawn to Candy tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sandy, Cindy, Wendy, Marcy, and Christy.
SandyCindyWendyMarcyChristyTommyStaceyDeena
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Candy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #4546 |
| 2024 | 40 | #3758 |
| 2023 | 40 | #3763 |
| 2022 | 32 | #4378 |
| 2021 | 34 | #4167 |
| 2020 | 36 | #3915 |
| 2019 | 45 | #3451 |
| 2018 | 49 | #3245 |
| 2017 | 45 | #3436 |
| 2016 | 49 | #3280 |
| 2015 | 52 | #3177 |
| 2014 | 57 | #2969 |
| 2013 | 64 | #2706 |
| 2012 | 81 | #2315 |
| 2011 | 80 | #2326 |
| 2010 | 102 | #1959 |
| 2009 | 153 | #1492 |
| 2008 | 108 | #1949 |
| 2007 | 119 | #1792 |
| 2006 | 120 | #1734 |
| 2005 | 104 | #1855 |
| 2004 | 106 | #1795 |
| 2003 | 99 | #1858 |
| 2002 | 101 | #1780 |
| 2001 | 112 | #1627 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Candy?
In official American birth records, the name Candy first appeared in 1896 (over 129 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Candy a popular girl name?
Candy ranked #4556 among girls in 2025 with 30 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3177.
When was the name Candy most popular?
Candy peaked in 1970, when 1,044 American girls received the name (ranked #281 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Candy?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 60,000 newborn American girls was named Candy. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.