Nancy

Meaning: Pure or holy
Origin: English — From Agnes

Meaning: Favor, grace
Origin: English — From Anne

Nicknames: Nan, Nance

Girl's name · #967 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Nancy is an heirloom: its strongest era came around 1950, when it ranked #6. It has thinned since but never left the records — about 1.0 million girls since 1880, ranked #967 today. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Nancy is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 26 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Nancy ranks in other countries and regions.

#78 in England & Wales (2025) · #100 in Ireland (2025) · #103 in N. Ireland (2025) · #215 in Scotland (2025) · #254 in Mexico (2024) · #698 in Ecuador (2025) · #1,004 in Sweden (2025) · #2,168 in France (2025) · #832 in Canada (2024).

Famous Nancys

Nancy Pelosi — American politician (born 1940)
Nancy Reagan — First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989
Nancy Ajram — Lebanese singer and actress
Nancy Sinatra — American singer and actress (born 1940)
Nancy Cartwright — American actress

In stories & tradition

Nancy Drew — Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (book series)
Nancy Wheeler — Stranger Things (TV series)
Nancy Thompson — A Nightmare on Elm Street (film)

What Nancys become

Among 2,285 notable people named Nancy:

Artists & writers appear 1.27× more often than among typical names — e.g. Nancy Mitford, British writer.

Similar names: Kathleen · Natasha · Stacy · Cynthia · Linda · Wendy

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service