Agnes
Agnes was the 1016th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 246 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 37th; the most babies were born in 1918 (5,291). Over the last ten years it has moved up 259 places. More babies were named Agnes in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning pure, chaste · Greek, Latin
Say it AG-niss /ˈæɡnɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,016 girls, up 231 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 246girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19185,291 babies
- Total since 1880
- 159,982babies recorded
What does the name Agnes mean?
Agnes comes from Greek Hagnē, from hagnos 'pure, chaste', as DMNES and Wiktionary note. Saint Agnes, a young Roman martyr of the early 4th century, made it very popular in medieval Europe; DMNES lists numerous queens of the name. Because it resembles Latin agnus 'lamb', she is shown with a lamb, but that link is a pun, not the origin. Spanish Inés is a doublet.
ἁγνός (hagnos) (Ancient Greek, “pure, chaste”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: From Latin agnus 'lamb'.
Related names: Inés, Inez, Agnieszka, Nancy, Aggie.
See also: Greek names, virtue names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Agnes', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Agnes', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Agnes
The usual nicknames for Agnes are Aggie and Nessie.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggie | Traditional | #14,993 | 22 |
| Nessie | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Agness go by each one.
Agnes popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 465 since 1887.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,016 | 246 |
| 2020 | #1,247 | 182 |
| 2010 | #2,672 | 67 |
| 2000 | #2,279 | 68 |
| 1990 | #1,862 | 76 |
| 1980 | #1,529 | 77 |
| 1970 | #1,026 | 120 |
| 1960 | #472 | 428 |
| 1950 | #286 | 748 |
| 1940 | #170 | 1,190 |
| 1930 | #102 | 2,510 |
| 1920 | #54 | 4,907 |
| 1910 | #41 | 2,163 |
| 1900 | #41 | 1,914 |
| 1890 | #50 | 1,095 |
| 1880 | #54 | 473 |
How popular is Agnes, counting every spelling?
Agnes has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #980 for girls in 2025, against #1,016 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Agnes?
246 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Agnes (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Agnes born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 34 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Agnes.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Agnes?
About 21,800 people born in the US named Agnes are alive today, with a median age of 73; half are between 54 and 84. That makes Agnes a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Agnes by state
How common Agnes was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (2.2×), Minnesota (1.9×), Ohio (1.6×), Wisconsin (1.6×), New York (1.5×). In 20 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Agnes: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Agnes, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Agnes · Sibling names for Agnes
Questions about the name Agnes
What does Agnes mean?
Agnes means “pure, chaste” (Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Agnes?
Agnes was the 1016th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 246 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 37th; the most babies were born in 1918 (5,291). Over the last ten years it has moved up 259 places. More babies were named Agnes in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Agnes a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Agnes in the US.
Where is Agnes most popular?
In 2021–2025, Agnes was most common in North Dakota (0.38 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kansas and Maine.