Name of the Day: Agnes

Agnes is a name that is rarely used anymore, but I think deserves to be more popular. I received mainly negative comments on it when I asked for a public opinion, but from scanning the SSA’s Top 1000 names for 2010, I noticed there were a lot of names similar in style (Charles, Caroline, Vincent, Genevieve, Sheldon, Lilith & Esther, to name a few). While seemingly outdated, I think Agnes has a retro charm and deserves to make a comeback.

Pronunciation: AG-nis (or AH-nyez in French).

Gender: Female.

Origin: Agnes is derived from the Greek name “Hagnē” which is from “hagnos” meaning chaste, pure & sacred. The name was borne in the 4th Century by a 13 year old Roman martyred for her beliefs (St. Agnes). An alternate meaning for Agees is “Lamb,” from the Latin “agnus.”

Nicknames: Aggie, Nan, Nessie, Nessa & Ness.

Variants/Alternatives: Agnethe, Agnieska, Nesta, Senga, Inez, Agatha, Anaïs, Oona, Annette, Nevsa, Agota, Ági, Nieske & Agnessa.

Popularity: Agnes not in the SSA’s Top 1000 names of 2010, and hasn’t been since 1972. After hovering in the #40s & #50s, Agnes peaked in 1899 at #37, then gradually made her way down the list. Agnes is currently a popular name in Sweden, Iceland, Hungary & Norway.

Sibling names as suggested by Nymbler: Verna, Myrtle, Viola, Beulah, Georgene, Earnest, Julius, Myron, Cyril & Amos.

Middle Name Suggestions:

Any middle name would work well with Agnes, except names that start with an S sound (ex: Agnes Sarah runs together and sounds like Agnes Aira). Agnes as a middle name sounds better with names that end in an “ee” sound.

• Anges Deliliah
• Agnes Julianne
• Agnes Dorothea
• Anges May
• Agnes Guinevere
• Ruby Agnes
• Felicity Agnes
• Emily Agnes
• Lilly Agnes
• Penelope Agnes