Chaundra
Feminine · “moon”
Chaundra is Chandra, the Sanskrit word for the moon, with an au that gives it a softer, broader sound. The moon's name is also the name of one of NASA's great telescopes, which honors an astronomer who carried it.
How old is the name Chaundra?
Chaundra first appears in US birth records in 1962 — 63 years ago. The typical Chaundra alive today was born around 1977, making them about 48 years old. About 500 people named Chaundra are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Chaundra most popular?
Chaundra peaked in 1974, reaching #2172 nationally. See the whole 1974 chart.
Where it comes from
From candra to Chaundra
The story of Chaundra
Chandra is one of the oldest names in India, carried by gods, kings and ordinary families. The astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, whose name contains it and who was known to colleagues as Chandra, showed how massive a star can be before it collapses, and NASA named its X-ray observatory after him. American families took up Chandra as a girl's name and spelled it several ways. Chaundra's au is the uncertain part: before n, English reads au as in launch and haunt, or as in aunt, so the name can be heard CHAWN-druh or CHAN-druh.
Meaning
moon, shining
From Sanskrit candra, the moon, from a root meaning to shine. Chaundra is an American spelling.
How the name formed
- candra
- Chandra
- Chaundra
Related forms: Candra · Chandra · Candra
Pronouncing Chaundra
SHAWN-druh
Most American families say it with sh, SHAWN-druh. In Hindi, Chandra begins with ch and has a short a: CHUN-druh.
Nicknames for Chaundra
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1962
- Most girls named
- 197437 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2172reached in 1974
- Change vs 1995
- 0.0%5 in 2002, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Chaundra in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Candra in Sanskrit — related form
- Chandra in Hindi — same name
- Candra in Indonesian — same name
Chaundras among us
people named Chaundra are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Chaundra sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Its meaning, moon, is clear and lovely.
- It connects to a famous astronomer and a working telescope.
- It is rare as a spelling.
- People will write Chandra or Shondra, and the au will be read several ways.
- In India, Chandra is often a man's name, which some people will point out.
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Chaundra
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Frequently asked
- How many Chaundras are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Chaundra are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Chaundra in 2025?
- Chaundra is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Chaundra with classmates?
- Chaundra will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More C names
The most-given names starting with C, all years combined.
Carol#2239 · Cynthia#1013 · Catherine#313 · Christine#1272 · Carolyn#1222 · Christina#770 · Charlotte#2 · Cheryl#4352
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Chaundra? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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