Cassandra

Where the name comes from

• Ancient Greek
  Origin uncertain
  Greek Kasandra or Kassandra, written Κασσάνδρα. Cassandra is the Latin spelling.
  No one knows for sure what the name means. The second part looks like a feminine form of the Greek andros, meaning 'of a man.' Scholars have suggested different sources for the first part. One links it to an old root meaning 'to shine.' Another links it to a Greek verb meaning 'to surpass' or 'to excel.' A third links it to a root meaning 'raise.' None of these has been proven. You will often see the name explained as 'shining upon man' or 'she who entangles men.' Those are popular meanings, not established ones.

Cassandra across traditions

• Greek mythology. In Greek myth, Cassandra was a princess of Troy. She was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. The god Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy. When she turned him away, he cursed her so no one would believe her. She correctly foresaw the fall of Troy and the death of King Agamemnon, but no one listened. Britannica notes she was also called Alexandra.
• Everyday English. Because of the myth, people call someone 'a Cassandra' when they give warnings that nobody heeds.
• Medieval and Renaissance Europe. In England the name first appears as a given name in the 1100s, along with many other names borrowed from Greek and Latin. It came back into English use in the 1500s. In Italy it returned during the Renaissance, when classical names came back into fashion.
• Italian surname. Cassandra is also an Italian family name, found mostly in the south around Caserta. It comes from the given name.
• Latin American television. Kassandra was a Venezuelan telenovela that aired in 1992 and 1993. It was later broadcast in many countries, including the United States.
• United States popularity. The name peaked in the 1990s, when it ranked #67 for the decade. Its best single year was 1990, at #49.

Who carried it

• Cassandra Austen (Georgian and Regency England): Jane Austen's older sister and her closest companion. She was an amateur artist who sketched the best-known portrait of Jane. After Jane died, she destroyed or cut up many of her letters.
• Cassandra Austen (née Leigh) (Georgian England): Mother of the novelist Jane Austen. She was known for her quick wit and her made-up verses and stories.

Forms in other languages

Kassandra, Casandra, Kasandra, Cassandre, Cassie, Cass, Kassie, Kesaunder

Cassandra in letter-number systems

Hebrew, Greek and other traditions gave every letter a number, and read meaning into the totals. These are the counts, computed; the readings are inside the Innerverse.