The first name Agnes
A girl’s name from Greek meaning “pure”, “chaste”, “purity”.
Pronounced /ˈæɡ.nɪs/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Agnes means “pure”, “chaste”, “purity” in Greek.
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἁγνή (Hagnḗ), coming from Ancient Greek ἁγνός (hagnós, “pure, chaste”), Ancient Greek ἁγνεία (hagneía, “purity, chastity”). Doublet of Inez.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 79 girls were named Agnes, making it the 509th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 140 births (#334).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Agnes with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Agnes at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 246 girls born in the United States were named Agnes, the 1,016th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 5,291 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Agnes in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Agnes in Danish, Dutch, Estonian, German, Icelandic, Latin, Norwegian, Romanian, Swedish and Welsh too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Agnes
Famous people named Agnes
127 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Agnes of RomeChristian martyr, 291–304
- Agnes MooreheadAmerican actress (1900–1974)
- Agnès JaouiFrench actress, film director, screenwriter and singer, born 1964
- Agnès SorelFrench Royal mistress (1422-1450)
- Agnes ArberBritish botanist (1879-1960)
- Agnes ObelDanish singer, composer, and pianist, born 1980
- Agnes AyresAmerican actress (1892–1940)
- Agnes MartinAmerican painter (1912–2004)
- Agnes of FranceByzantine Empress consort (1171 – on or after 1220)
- Agnes PockelsGerman chemist pioneer in surface science, 1862–1935
- Agnes Baden-PowellBritish scouting pioneer, 1858–1945
- Agnes of WaiblingenDuchess of Swabia, 1072–1143
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Agnes mean?
- Agnes means “pure”, “chaste”, “purity” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Agnes?
- Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἁγνή (Hagnḗ), coming from Ancient Greek ἁγνός (hagnós, “pure, chaste”), Ancient Greek ἁγνεία (hagneía, “purity, chastity”). Doublet of Inez.
- How popular is the name Agnes?
- In 2025, 79 girls born in England and Wales were named Agnes, ranking 509th. Its peak was 2015, with 140 births.
- What are nicknames for Agnes?
- Common nicknames for Agnes include Nessie.
- Is Agnes a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 159,982 US babies named Agnes since 1880 were girls.
- When was Agnes most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 5,291 babies were named Agnes, its highest rank at 47th.
- How do you pronounce Agnes?
- Agnes is /ˈæɡ.nɪs/, 2 syllables.