Name profile

GirlPronounced English /ˈkæn.dɪs/; English /ˈkæn.də.si/

Candace

A name meaning "queen mother".

Quick answer

Candace is a girl name meaning "queen mother".

Pronunciation: English /ˈkæn.dɪs/; English /ˈkæn.də.si/.

GenderGirl
Meaningqueen mother
PronunciationEnglish /ˈkæn.dɪs/; English /ˈkæn.də.si/

Meaning and history

This name comes from the hereditary title of the queens of Ethiopia, as mentioned in Acts in the New Testament. It is apparently derived from Meroitic kdke meaning "queen mother". In some versions of the Bible it is spelled Kandake, reflecting the Greek spelling Κανδάκη. It was used as a given name by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation. William Faulkner used it for a character in his novel The Sound and the Fury (1929). It was popularized in the 20th century by a character in the 1942 movie Meet the Stewarts.

Notes and context

Usage: english, biblical, biblical latin | Ancient Greek: Κανδάκη