Cassandra

What does Cassandra mean?

Cassandra is the Latinized spelling of Greek Kassandra. Its meaning is uncertain: one proposed origin combines a word meaning “to excel” or “surpass” with an element meaning “man.” Another interpretation connects the opening with a word associated with plotting.

The name is best known through the Trojan princess Cassandra, daughter of Priam and Hecuba. In Greek myth, Apollo gives her the gift of prophecy, then curses her so that her true predictions will not be believed. That story made her name a lasting part of classical literature.

A classical name in later use

Medieval English readers encountered Cassandra through stories about the Trojan War, and the name was used in England during that period. It later became less common before a twentieth-century revival. Its history therefore includes both medieval use and a much more recent generation of American bearers.

Cassandra Austen and her sister's portrait

Cassandra Austen gives the name a connection with English literary history through her relationship with her younger sister Jane. She made a small pencil-and-watercolor portrait of the novelist around 1810, now held by London's National Portrait Gallery.

The apparently unfinished sketch is the only known portrait made during Jane Austen's lifetime that shows her face. It became the basis for a later engraving and, indirectly, for the familiar image reproduced on the British ten-pound banknote.

Cassandra's work therefore helped shape how later readers picture one of the best-known English novelists. Her first name belongs not just to the classical princess but also to the sister and close companion who recorded Jane Austen's appearance from life.

Cassandra Wilson and jazz

Singer Cassandra Wilson provides a modern musical association. Her album New Moon Daughter won the Grammy for best jazz vocal performance at the 1997 awards. A second win followed in 2009, when Loverly received the best jazz vocal album award.

The two albums place her name in different stages of a recording career extending across decades. Her Grammy history also includes nominations for Blue Light 'Til Dawn and Traveling Miles. Those credits give Cassandra an association with jazz performance alongside its classical and literary histories.

Pronunciation and familiar forms

English Cassandra is commonly kuh-SAN-druh, with three syllables and stress on the middle one; kuh-SAHN-druh is also established. Cass, Cassie, and Cassy are familiar forms. Kassandra and Kasandra are related English spellings, while French uses Cassandre.

Cassandra in the United States

Cassandra reached its American girls' peak in 1990, with 7,054 babies and a rank of No. 49. It ranked No. 631 in 2025, compared with No. 512 in 2015. Its largest American newborn generation belongs to the end of the twentieth century, centuries after its medieval English use.

How popular is Cassandra?

In 2025, Cassandra ranked #631 among girls in the United States, with 463 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1902; its largest annual count was 7,054 in 1990. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.