Nancy
Nancy is a feminine English language given name. The name Nancy was originally a diminutive form of Annis, a medieval English vernacular form of Agnes, which means "pure" or "holy". In some English dialects, "mine" was used instead of "my" and "Mine Ancy" eventually became Nancy.
- English
- Spanish
Meaning & Origin of Nancy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nancy is a feminine English language given name. The name Nancy was originally a diminutive form of Annis, a medieval English vernacular form of Agnes, which means "pure" or "holy". In some English dialects, "mine" was used instead of "my" and "Mine Ancy" eventually became Nancy.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Spanish
The Story of Nancy
American parents first put Nancy on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 410 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 32,445 Nancys were born — ranking #7 that year. About 29% of every Nancy on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Nancy ranks #937 for baby girls with 281 births, gradually falling (-8%). All told, over 1.0M Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Nancy
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nancy. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Nancy
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Nancy A. Becker (born 1955), American attorney and judge
- Nancy A. Hewitt (born 1951), American women historian
- Nancy A. Leatherwood (1872–1961), American club woman
- Nancy A. Monteiro-Riviere , American toxicologist
- Nancy A. Moran (born 1954), American evolutionary biologist, entomologist, and professor
- Nancy A. Roseman , American professor of biology
- Nancy Abelmann (1959–2016), American anthropologist and professor
- Nancy Abramson , American hazzan
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Nancy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nancy is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nancy
What does the name Nancy mean?
What is the origin of the name Nancy?
How popular is Nancy in 2026?
When was Nancy most popular?
In which U.S. states is Nancy most popular?
Is Nancy a unisex name?
What names go well with Nancy?
What are nicknames or variants of Nancy?
About the name Nancy
Nancy is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 1.0M births in the dataset. Nancy's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #6. Use the chart and map above to compare Nancy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.