Candace is a name of Greek origin and it means "she who is renowned for wisdom." The name comes from the ancient Greek word "kandake," which was used to describe powerful queens in Ethiopia. One notable queen who held this title was Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, whose story is told in Acts 8:27-38 of the Bible.
Candace as a given name began to appear in English-speaking countries during the early 20th century. It gained popularity as people became more interested in unique and distinctive names with meaningful origins. Today, Candace is still considered somewhat uncommon but has been used steadily over the years, particularly in the United States and Canada.
In terms of its history and usage, Candace is not associated with any specific feast days or cultural traditions beyond those connected to the historical figure of Queen Candace herself. However, it does carry a strong association with wisdom and intelligence due to its meaning and origin. As such, parents who choose this name for their daughters may be drawn to its powerful and meaningful roots.
In summary, Candace is a unique and distinctive female given name of Greek origin that means "she who is renowned for wisdom." It was popularized by the historical figure of Queen Candace and has been used steadily in English-speaking countries since the early 20th century.
Here are some interesting statistics about the name Candace:
From 1945 to 2008, there were a total of 2294 babies named Candace born in the United States. The popularity of this name has seen its ups and downs over these decades.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the name Candace gained traction, with approximately 30 births each year between 1947 and 1953. This trend continued into the mid-1960s, peaking at 79 births in 1970.
However, after reaching this peak, the popularity of the name Candace began to decline steadily. From 1985 onwards, there were less than 60 babies named Candace born each year. This downward trend continued into the new millennium, with fewer than 20 babies named Candace being born annually between 1997 and 2008.
Despite its waning popularity in recent years, it's fascinating to note that Candace has been a consistent name choice for parents over seven decades, with a total of almost 2300 babies given this name since 1945.