Cassandra, also spelled Kassandra, is a feminine given name of Greek origin. Cassander[1] is the masculine form of Cassandra. In Greek mythology, Cassandra (Greek: Κασσάνδρα) was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. She had the gift of prophecy, but was cursed so that none would believe her prophecies. The name has been in occasional use since the Middle Ages. The usual English nickname is Cassie.[2] Cassandre is the French version of the name.[3]

Cassandra
Pronunciation/kəˈsændrə/
Greek: [kas:ándra]
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameGreek mythology
Meaningthe one who shines and excels over men[1]
Other names
Related namesCasandra, Cassandre, Cassie, Casey, Sandra, Sandy
Cassandra by Evelyn De Morgan, ca. 1898.
Lady Emma Hamilton as Cassandra by George Romney, 18th century.

Usage

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The name peaked in popularity in the United States in 1990 with more than 7,000 girls named Cassandra born that year. The name remains among the top 1,000 most popular names for newborn American girls but has since declined in use, with about 452 American girls called Cassandra in 2022. Another 188 American newborn girls were called Kassandra that year.[4] There were 456 newborn girls called Cassandra in the United States in 2023 and another 191 called Kassandra.

It is also among the 500 most popular names for newborn girls in Canada, where the name ranked 407th on the popularity chart in 2021 with 75 uses. Another 25 Canadian newborn girls were called Kassandra and another 11 Canadian newborn girls were called Cassandre in 2021.[5] It has been among the 1,000 most used names for newborn girls in England and Wales at different points between 1996 and 2021, when it ranked in 747th place.[6] It is a common name in Greece and countries where Germanic and Romance languages are spoken.

People

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Cassandra Moses (born 1983) REALTOR, Healer

Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Cassander – Name's Meaning of Cassander". NameDoctor. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  2. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 49. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  3. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Cassandre". Behind the Name.
  4. ^ "Popularity of Name Cassandra". www.ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  5. ^ "First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  6. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Popularity of the Name Cassandra in England and Wales". Behind the Name.
  7. ^ Austlit. "Cassie Lewis | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-03-24.