UK girl's name
Candy
A sweet, sugary diminutive of Candice, from Latin candidus "white".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Candy is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Candy popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4645, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 14 births.
This profile covers 84 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 29% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 83 living people in the UK are called Candy. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Candy ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 14 girls were registered as Candy.
- • About 83 living people in the UK are estimated to have Candy as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4645
2022
Births in 2022
4
Latest year
Peak year
1998
14 births
Estimated living
83
2026
Meaning
What does Candy mean?
The given name Candy is a modern English name that has its roots in the word "candy" itself, which refers to a sweet confection made from sugar or other sweet substances. The name likely originated in the early 20th century, as the mass production and commercialization of confectionery products became more widespread.
The word "candy" is derived from the Arabic word "qandi," which means "composed of sugar." This word was borrowed into English from the Old French "candi" or "candé," which referred to crystallized sugar. The name Candy is thought to have been inspired by the sweet and desirable qualities associated with the confection.
While the name Candy does not have a long historical lineage, it has been used as a given name for both males and females in various parts of the world. However, it is more commonly associated with female names.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Candy can be found in the 1933 American film "Roman Scandals," where a character named Candy was portrayed by actress Gloria Stuart. Another notable bearer of the name was Candy Jones (1925-1990), an American model, writer, and self-proclaimed victim of mind control experiments.
In literature, Candy is the name of a character in the 1958 novel "Candy" by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg, which explored themes of sexual liberation and satire. The name Candy was also used for a character in the 1968 film of the same name, based on the novel.
Other notable individuals named Candy include:
1. Candy Darling (1944-1974), an American actress, Warhol Superstar, and pioneer of the transgender rights movement. 2. Candy Spelling (born 1945), an American author, playwright, and philanthropist, best known as the wife of television producer Aaron Spelling. 3. Candy Lightner (born 1946), an American activist and founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). 4. Candy Dulfer (born 1969), a Dutch saxophonist and singer-songwriter. 5. Candy Christiano (born 1970), an American actress and model.
While the name Candy may have started as a playful and whimsical reference to the sweet confection, it has since been embraced by individuals from various backgrounds and has become a recognizable given name in its own right.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Candy over time
The chart below shows babies named Candy registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Candy, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Candy by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Candy was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4645 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4521 | 18 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3717 | 32 | 6 |
| 1990s | #2670 | 30 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Candy
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Candy: questions and answers
How popular is the name Candy in the UK right now?
In 2022, Candy was ranked #4645 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Candy most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 14 babies registered as Candy in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Candy?
A sweet, sugary diminutive of Candice, from Latin candidus "white".
How many people are called Candy in the UK?
A total of 84 babies have been registered as Candy across the 15 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.