Total births
28,525
Girls' name · since 1896
Candy
Candy has 28,525 recorded births since 1896 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1970 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3762
- among girls today
- 28,525
- born since 1896
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
28,525 babies have been named Candy since 1896, making it today's #3762 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Candy recorded 28,525 times among girls since 1896, holding rank #3762 nationally today, ahead of 79% of girls, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1896 to 2025.
- #3762 among girls today
- 28,525 born since 1896
- 1960s peak decade
- 79% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Candy is currently the #3762 girls' name in America, more common than 79% of girls - 28,525 born since 1896, peaking in the 1960s.
- #3762
- among girls today
- 28,525
- born since 1896
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Candy vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3762
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 79% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Candy was born in this single decade.
1970
Single peak year
1,044 babies were named Candy in 1970 - its busiest year on record.
How Candy compares
28,525 Top 5% higher than 95% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Candy's all-time total is 75x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Candy | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 28,525 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,044 | 48 | 19,840 |
Candy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Candy splits its recorded history at 1974: 34% of all births land in the more recent half, 66% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1896 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1970 peak of 1,044 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Candy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1970
Current rank
#3,762
Active since
1896
Candy popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1896–2025
- Peak year (1970)
- 1,044
- Annual births at peak, across 130 years of records
Candy popularity over time - boys
100 total births recorded since 1934 (Candy as boys' name)
Candy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Candy's strongest decade.
7,555 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Candy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s 14
1910s
14 births
- 1920s 39
1920s
39 births
- 1930s 90
1930s
90 births
- 1940s 1,948
1940s
1,948 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,716 births
- 1960s
1960s
7,555 births
- 1970s
1970s
6,887 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,029 births
- 1990s 1,273
1990s
1,273 births
- 2000s 1,133
2000s
1,133 births
- 2010s 624
2010s
624 births
- 2020s 212
2020s
212 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 7,555 births (26% of all-time use).
How Candy compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Candy's total volume
Candy vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Candy by state
Where Candy concentrates geographically, total births since 1896
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,927 | 13.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,088 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 1,902 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,469 | 5.1% |
| #5 | New York | | 1,290 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 1,142 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,131 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 1,040 | 3.6% |
California share of Candy's total US births 13.8%
Even split
3,927 of 28,525 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Candy appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Candy? ▼
Since 1896, Social Security records show 28,525 babies named Candy. Today it holds rank #3762 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1970, with 1,044 births.
When was Candy most popular? ▼
Candy was most popular in the 1960s decade with 7,555 total births. The single peak year was 1970.
Where is Candy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Candy are California (3,927 births), Texas (2,088 births), Ohio (1,902 births).
How long has the name Candy been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Candy since 1896 -- 130 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Candy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Candace, Candice, Candi, Candis, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Candy's data
- Candy's decade-level peak was the 1960s (7,555 total births); usage has since declined to 212 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Candys (3,927 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Candy
Nearby Names Like Candy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Candy
Candace Girl
#3641 84,938 births
Candice Girl
#4792 67,984 births
Candi Girl
7,356 births
Candis Girl
5,164 births
Candida Girl
3,580 births
Compare Candy side by side: Candy vs Candace Candy vs Candice Candy vs Candi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Candy
Sigrid #3761
3,110 births · Peak 2022
Allegra #3763
4,732 births · Peak 1988
Berenice #3760
9,513 births · Peak 1995
Twyla #3764
7,192 births · Peak 1964
Helene #3759
33,334 births · Peak 1918
Vanna #3765
2,009 births · Peak 1986
Eugenia #3758
29,929 births · Peak 1919
Arlee #3766
1,267 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1896–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Candy: #3762 Girls' Name - 28,525 Births, Peak 1970." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/candy. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Candy draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.