Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Candice

Candice is a variant spelling of Candace, a name which appears in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. In Acts 8:26-27, the Bible says: “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure.” The English got the name from the Greek Κανδακη (Kandake) which was ultimately derived from a very ancient Kushite word “kdke” meaning “queen mother”. It was a hereditary title among the queens of the African Kingdom of Kush, such as the legendary 4th century B.C. Candace of Meroë, who some historians believe was the only person to defeat Alexander the Great from pressing his empire south of Egypt into territories where she reigned. It was the Puritans who resurrected this obscure Biblical title after the Protestant Reformation, but it was really a mid-20th century Hollywood film “Meet the Stewarts” (1942) that brought the name Candace to the masses. A lighthearted comedy, the movie stars William Holden as Mike Stewart, a working stiff who marries the pretty, wealthy socialite Candace “Candy” Goodwin (played by Frances Dee), and follows their struggles as she tries to live on his meager salary. American audiences responded to the name Candace in droves, and Candice soon followed as an alternate spelling. Right now Candice is most popular in France and South Africa.

All About the Baby Name – Candice

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME CANDICE

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME CANDICE

Candace was a name used on occasion dating back to the days of Puritan colonizers. However, we really don’t see any widespread usage of Candace until 1942 (following the release of “Meet the Stewarts”). The name took off very fast and Candice soon followed with her first appearance on the charts in 1945. The spelling of Candice has actually done quite a bit better over the years compared to Candace, but the two are practically one in the same. Candice actually made America’s Top 100 list for six consecutive years (1980-1985), owing to the actress Candice Bergen (1946-present) whose celebrity was on the rise at the time. Oddly, however, both Candace and Candice are names which took nosedives on the charts as we turned into the 21st century. Candice disappeared from America’s Top 1000 list in 2003 and Candace soon followed in 2005. We can’t explain why. Candice is a pretty sounding name with a powerful etymology. Perhaps some parents are just too worried their daughters will get stuck with the overly sweet “Candy” nickname.

Quick Facts

ON CANDICE

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Greek

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

KAN-dis

SIMPLE MEANING:

Queen mother

Characteristics

OF CANDICE

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Candice

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CANDICE

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Candice

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CANDICE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Candice


Popular Songs

ON CANDICE

Candice
a song by Sinai Beach

Famous People

NAMED CANDICE

Candice Bergen (actress)
Candice Accola (actress)
Candice Glover (R&B singer, American Idol winner)
Candice Swanepoel (South African supermodel)
Candice Night (musician)
Candice Michelle (pro wrestler)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CANDICE

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Candice

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CANDICE

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Candice