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Name Lineage

    The first name Nancy

    A girl’s name.

    Pronounced /ˈnænsi/ 2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Medieval diminutive of Ann and Agnes. Compare Betsy, Patsy.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 604 girls were named Nancy, making it the 78th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 861 births (#67).

    0450900 1996200020052010201520202025
    13,211
    babies named Nancy, 1996–2025
    #78
    rank in 2025
    2017
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Nancy with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Nancy at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 265 girls born in the United States were named Nancy, the 967th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 32,445 were.

    020,00040,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    1,007,393
    babies named Nancy since 1880
    #967
    rank in 2025
    1947
    peak year

    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.

    Nancy in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    نَانْسِي
    nānsī
    Arabic
    南希
    Nánxī
    Chinese, also 南茜
    Νάνσι
    Nánsi
    Greek
    ナンシー
    Nanshī
    Japanese
    낸시
    Naensi
    Korean
    Нэ́нси
    Nɛ́nsi
    Russian
    Nansi
    Welsh

    Spelled Nancy in French too.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Nancy

    Other spellings and forms

    • Nancey

    Famous people named Nancy

    144 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Nancy Pelosi
      American politician (born 1940)
    • Nancy Reagan
      First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989
    • Nancy Sinatra
      American singer and actress (born 1940)
    • Nancy Cartwright
      American actress, born 1957
    • Nancy Mitford
      British writer, 1904–1973
    • Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor
      First female Member of Parliament to take her seat (1879-1964)
    • Nancy Allen
      American actress, born 1950
    • Nancy Roman
      American astronomer and principal in the Hubble Space Telescope project (1925-2018)
    • Nancy Fraser
      American philosopher, born 1947
    • Nancy Olson
      American actress, born 1928
    • Nancy Kelly
      American actress (1921–1995)
    • Nancy Meyers
      American film director, producer and screenwriter, born 1949

    Questions

    What does the name Nancy mean?
    Medieval diminutive of Ann and Agnes. Compare Betsy, Patsy.
    How popular is the name Nancy?
    In 2025, 604 girls born in England and Wales were named Nancy, ranking 78th. Its peak was 2017, with 861 births.
    What are nicknames for Nancy?
    Common nicknames for Nancy include Nance, Nan.
    Is Nancy a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,007,393 US babies named Nancy since 1880 were girls.
    When was Nancy most popular?
    1947 in the United States, when 32,445 babies were named Nancy, its highest rank at 7th.
    How do you pronounce Nancy?
    Nancy is /ˈnænsi/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Nancy?
    Nancey.