Nancy
Nancy was the 967th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 265 babies. Its best year was 1950, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1947 (32,445). Over the last ten years it has moved down 153 places. More babies were named Nancy in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Ann (or Agnes) · English, Hebrew
Say it NAN-see /ˈnænsi/
- Rank in 2025
- #967 girls, down 70 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 265girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194732,445 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,007,393babies recorded
What does the name Nancy mean?
Nancy is a medieval pet form of Ann and Agnes, as Wiktionary notes, like Betsy and Patsy. It comes from Nan, itself from the Middle English habit of running 'mine Ann' together as 'my Nan', plus a diminutive ending. Ann is the English form of Hebrew Ḥannah 'favor, grace'. Nancy became an independent name by the 18th century and was hugely popular in the US in the 1940s and 1950s.
Nan (Middle English, “pet form of Ann”)חַנָּה (Ḥannah) (Hebrew, “favor, grace”)
How sure is this? Probable. The route through 'mine Ann' > Nan is the usual explanation.
Related names: Ann, Anne, Nan, Nance.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nancy', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Anne', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Nancy
The usual nicknames for Nancy are Nan.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nan · also for Anna, Anne | Traditional | — | 6 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Nancys go by each one.
Nancy popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 2,945 since 1889.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #967 | 265 |
| 2020 | #897 | 295 |
| 2010 | #519 | 574 |
| 2000 | #232 | 1,378 |
| 1990 | #131 | 2,385 |
| 1980 | #111 | 2,806 |
| 1970 | #50 | 7,063 |
| 1960 | #15 | 21,891 |
| 1950 | #6 | 29,617 |
| 1940 | #7 | 19,737 |
| 1930 | #24 | 9,068 |
| 1920 | #95 | 2,982 |
| 1910 | #105 | 811 |
| 1900 | #99 | 673 |
| 1890 | #84 | 512 |
| 1880 | #62 | 410 |
How popular is Nancy, counting every spelling?
Nancy is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #930 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #967 for Nancy on its own. Together these spellings went to 265 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nancy | 265 | #967 | 1,382 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Nancy?
265 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nancy (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Nancy 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 32 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nancy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nancy?
About 626,700 people born in the US named Nancy are alive today, with a median age of 71; half are between 62 and 78. That makes Nancy 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.
Nancy by state
How common Nancy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (3.0×), Kentucky (2.1×), Indiana (1.9×), Alabama (1.9×), South Carolina (1.7×). In 22 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 Nancy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nancy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nancy · Sibling names for Nancy
Nancy is also a nickname for Anne.
Questions about the name Nancy
What does Nancy mean?
Nancy means “pet form of Ann (or Agnes)” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Nancy?
Nancy was the 967th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 265 babies. Its best year was 1950, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1947 (32,445). Over the last ten years it has moved down 153 places. More babies were named Nancy in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Nancy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Nancy in the US.
Where is Nancy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nancy was most common in Pennsylvania (0.52 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kentucky and Indiana.