At a Glance: Name: Nancy – Meaning: originally 'pure, holy' (via Agnes); later also used as a pet form of Anne/Hannah, meaning 'favor, grace' – Origin: English (medieval diminutive, originally of Agnes, later also of Anne) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: NAN-see
Nancy is an English (medieval diminutive, originally of Agnes, later also of Anne) girl's name meaning “originally 'pure, holy' (via Agnes); later also used as a pet form of Anne/Hannah, meaning 'favor, grace'”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Nancy
Meaning: Originally 'pure, holy' (via Agnes); later also used as a pet form of Anne/Hannah, meaning 'favor, grace'.
Origin: English (medieval diminutive, originally of Agnes, later also of Anne).
A common claim: Nancy is usually said to simply be a pet form of Ann/Anne, meaning 'grace'. Actually: That's only part of the story — Nancy actually began as a medieval nickname for Agnes ('pure, holy'), and was linked to Anne only later.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Nancy
Phonetic: NAN-see IPA: /ˈnænsi/
Popularity of Nancy
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Lists That Include Nancy
- 200+ Retro Baby Girl Names Making a Chic Comeback
- 200+ Gorgeous Girl Names That End in Ie or Y (Totally Cute and Feminine)
Similar Names
Betty · Donna · Marilyn · Dottie · Rosemary · Briony
