Candice

Candice is a variant spelling of Candace, a charming baby name that appeared in the Bible in connection with an Ethiopian queen. It also means pure and shining—perfect for a queenly type. No matter which spelling you choose, Candy is the most common nickname for it—though others have shortened it as Cannie or Caddie.

The name’s most famous bearer of this variation is actress Candice Bergen, but it’s also the name of pro wrestler Candice Michelle, and model Candice Swanepoel. (If you’re into the more common Candace spelling, you’ll find even more people—like Sex and the City creator Candace Bushnell, and actresses Candy Clark and Candace Cameron Bure. Candace is also the tattletelling oldest sister who’s always looking to bust her baby brothers on the adventure cartoon Phineas and Ferb.

If you’re looking for some other more obscure Biblical baby names like Candace, you can try options like Damaris, Delilah, Ezra, Jemima, Jezebel, Lilith, Noa, Salome, Sarai, and Tabitha. For guys, try Abel, Asa, Elon, Gabriel, Jude, Levi, Rufus, Silas, and Zeb.

Candice first appeared on the top 1000 baby name list on 1945, and peaked in popularity in 1982 at #78. It fell out of the top 1000 back in 2003—but is ready for a comeback.

Candice in quotes:

“Dreams are, by definition, cursed with short life spans.”—Candice Bergen

“Your body is a machine. Learn the right way to take care of it.” —Candice Swanepoel

“Sometimes you have to find the passion. It comes from the inside... Everyone has to find it for themselves.”—Candace Bushnell