Pansy
Pansy is an English feminine given name taken from the name of the flower, which is derived from the Old French pensée, meaning “thought.” It is one of many botanical names that came into fashion in the Anglosphere during the Victorian era.
Meaning & Origin of Pansy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Pansy is an English feminine given name taken from the name of the flower, which is derived from the Old French pensée, meaning “thought.” It is one of many botanical names that came into fashion in the Anglosphere during the Victorian era.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Pansy
Pansy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 273 Pansys were born — ranking #379 that year. As of 2026, Pansy ranks #13,787 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 11K Pansys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Pansy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Pansy is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Pansie
- Panzi
- Ponzi
- Panza
- Pans
- Panty
- Pantie
- Pansies
- Panzer
- Panny
- Pensi
- Pouncey
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pansy
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About the name Pansy
Pansy is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 11K births in the dataset. Pansy's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #379. Use the chart and map above to compare Pansy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1916 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- 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.