Chandler
- Origin: English
- Meaning: “candlemaker; candle seller”
- Gender: Unisex
- First Est: 18th-century for males; 1990s for females
- Variation: Chandlery
From the transferred use of the English occupational surname meaning “candlemaker” or “candle seller.”
Chandler first came into use as a masculine given name in the 18th century. It has appeared on and off in the U.S. Top 1000 Male Names since the 1960s. Its popularity increased substantially after the 1994 debut of the hit sitcom Friends, which featured the sarcastic and quick-witted Chandler Bing, played by Matthew Perry. The name rose from #348 in 1994 to #177 in 1995 and eventually peaked at #151 in 1999. It currently ranks as the 753rd most popular male name in the United States (2025).
In England and Wales, Chandler appeared in the Top 1000 Male Names between 1996 and 2003, peaking at #342 in 1998.
In the United States, Chandler has been occasionally used for females since the 1960s, but its use increased substantially during the early 1990s. Its rise coincided with the American fashion for adopting English surnames as female names. Chandler entered the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names in 1992 and peaked the following year at #348.
The television series Friends may have reinforced its status as a unisex name. In a 1998 episode, Phoebe gives birth to her brother’s triplets, one of whom is unexpectedly discovered to be a girl after having already been named Chandler in honour of Chandler Bing. However, the name had already reached its female peak five years earlier, and its popularity among girls continued to decline during the remainder of the series.
Sister Names: Addison, Afton, Avery, Blair, Blakeley, Brogan, Campbell, Camryn, Collins, Dallas, Delaney, Dylan, Emerson, Emery, Everley, Fallon, Finley, Flannery, Gracyn, Greenley, Greer, Hadley, Harper, Hollis, Jensen, Jersey, Jordan, Kedzie, Kendall, Kimber, Leighton, Lennox, Logan, Madison, M(a)ckenzie, Miller, Oakley, Palmer, Pendleton, Peyton, Quinn, Quincy, Reese, Remington, Ripley, Sailor, Spencer, Skylar, Tatum, Tanner, Taylor, Wallis, Yardley
Brother Names: Anderson, Archer, Ashton, Beckett, Brewer, Buckley, Cameron, Carter, Channing, Cooper, Dawson, Deacon, Dexter, Ellis, Emory, Everett, Fisher, Fletcher, Foster, Gannon, Garrett, Graham, Harrison, Hayes, Holden, Ian, Irvin(g), Iverson, Jackson, Jagger, Jameson, Keller, Knox, Kyle, Landon, Lawson, Logan, Macklin, Mason, Mercer, Nash, Newlin, Nolan, Orson, Owen, Parker, Penn, Porter, Quinn, Remington, Ryder, Ryker, Sawyer, Schuyler, Spencer, Tanner, Tyler, Tucker, Upton, Urban, Vance, Vaughn, Wallace, Wells, Wilder, Yale, Yates, York
Sources
Ad space — add Google AdSense code in Appearance › Ad Settings