Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1975

Chandra

Meaning moon Gender Girl Rank 2025 Below top lists

Borrowed from Sanskrit चन्द्र (candrá, “moon”)

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Chandra
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1975
753 babies
All-time total
17,349
#1,167 all-time among girls
First recorded
1935
in Social Security records

Chandra popularity over time

17,349 babies have been named Chandra since 1935, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s 6 – 6 1 – #3,820
1940s 46 – 46 5 +667% #3,026
1950s 907 – 907 91 +1872% #648
1960s 3,145 8 3,153 315 +248% #377
1970s 6,698 39 6,737 674 +114% #307
1980s 4,285 14 4,299 430 -36% #396
1990s 1,629 5 1,634 163 -62% #742
2000s 468 – 468 47 -71% #2,051
2010s 91 – 91 9 -81% #6,915
2020s (to 2025) 8 – 8 1 -85% #11,394

The story of Chandra

Chandra is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1935, 17,349 American babies have been named Chandra. Its peak came in 1975, when 753 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Chandra stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Chandra?

The median living Chandra is about 49 years old; half are between 41 and 55. An estimated 16 thousand people named Chandra are alive in the United States today.

median 49 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Chandra year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – – –
2024 – – – –
2023 8 #11,394 – –
2022 – – – –
2021 – – – –
2020 – – – –
2019 8 #11,585 – –
2018 6 #14,161 – –
2017 16 #7,168 – –
2016 – – – –
2015 7 #13,300 – –
2014 6 #14,965 – –
2013 13 #8,693 – –
2012 10 #10,600 – –
2011 18 #6,915 – –
2010 7 #13,762 – –
2009 23 #5,930 – –
2008 22 #6,170 – –
2007 29 #4,983 – –
2006 39 #3,868 – –
2005 43 #3,467 – –
2004 41 #3,576 – –
2003 60 #2,644 – –
2002 53 #2,826 – –
2001 82 #2,051 – –
2000 76 #2,125 – –
1995 137 #1,247 – –
1990 280 #742 – –
1985 409 #496 – –
1980 573 #396 – –
1975 747 #307 6 #4,888
1970 695 #357 – –
1965 284 #567 – –
1960 153 #833 – –
1955 79 #1,119 – –
1950 19 #2,263 – –
1945 6 #4,096 – –
1940 – – – –
1935 6 #3,820 – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Chandra

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Chandra Shekhar Chandra Shekhar Prime Minister of India from 1990 to 1991 1927–2007 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Chandra Wilson Chandra Wilson American actress and director (born 1969) Contemporary
  3. 3 Chandra Shekhar Azad Chandra Shekhar Azad Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter (1906–1931) Contemporary
  4. 4 Chandra Bahadur Dangi Chandra Bahadur Dangi World's shortest person (1939–2015) Contemporary
  5. 5 Chandra Cheeseborough Chandra Cheeseborough American sprinter b. 1959 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Chandra Crawford Chandra Crawford Canadian cross-country skier (born 1983) Contemporary
  7. 7 Chandra Sturrup Chandra Sturrup Bahamian sprinter b. 1971 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Chandra, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Chandra?

The median living Chandra is about 49 years old. Half of all living Chandras are between 41 and 55 years old.

How many people named Chandra are alive today?

An estimated 16 thousand people named Chandra are alive in the United States, based on 17,349 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Chandra mean?

Borrowed from Sanskrit चन्द्र (candrá, “moon”)

How popular is the name Chandra in 2025?

Chandra did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Chandra?

17,349 babies have been named Chandra in the United States since 1935, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Chandra most popular?

Chandra peaked in 1975, when 753 newborns received the name.

Is Chandra a boy or girl name?

Chandra is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Chandra rising or falling?

Chandra is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Chandra?

Well-known people named Chandra include Chandra Shekhar (politician), Chandra Wilson (actor), Chandra Shekhar Azad (politician).

Names like Chandra

Names that sound and feel close to Chandra: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Chandra with similar names → More names starting with C →