Nancy first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Nancy has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Nancy

A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Anne.

Popularity of Nancy by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Nancy is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 99% of people named Nancy being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 279 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Nancy.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 279
2022 0 262
2021 0 279
2020 0 295
2019 0 294
2018 0 326
2017 0 313
2016 0 310
2015 0 343
2014 0 371
2013 0 411
2012 0 437
2011 0 539
2010 0 573
2009 0 667
2008 0 858
2007 0 903
2006 0 1,017
2005 0 1,017
2004 5 1,150
2003 6 1,178
2002 0 1,368
2001 8 1,420
2000 6 1,378
1999 8 1,420
1998 5 1,480
1997 6 1,525
1996 0 1,825
1995 12 2,000
1994 14 2,189
1993 14 1,986
1992 22 2,185
1991 29 2,498
1990 28 2,385
1989 38 2,345
1988 19 2,346
1987 34 2,235
1986 21 2,426
1985 21 2,608
1984 34 2,488
1983 24 2,520
1982 27 2,807
1981 20 2,912
1980 22 2,804
1979 25 2,864
1978 21 3,045
1977 24 3,221
1976 13 3,281
1975 19 3,510
1974 19 3,893

The history of the first name Nancy

The name Nancy is derived from the medieval French name Annis, which was a pet form of the ancient Germanic name Arnoald or Arnaud. The name Arnoald was composed of the elements "arn" meaning "eagle" and "wald" meaning "rule". The French variant Annis eventually evolved into the modern English name Nancy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nancy can be found in the 12th century work "Roman d'Eneas", a medieval French romance poem based on Virgil's Aeneid. In the poem, the character Annis is a young woman who falls in love with the hero Aeneas.

Nancy was a relatively popular name in medieval England and France, with some notable historical figures bearing the name. One such figure was Nancy de Lacy, born in 1262, who was a wealthy heiress and landowner in Lincolnshire, England.

In the 16th century, Nancy became a popular name among the French nobility. One notable figure was Nancy de Bourbon, born in 1505, who was a French noblewoman and member of the House of Bourbon.

During the 17th century, the name Nancy gained popularity in England and Scotland. One famous bearer of the name was Nancy Astor, born in 1879, who was the first woman to sit as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons.

Another well-known Nancy from history was Nancy Hanks, the mother of President Abraham Lincoln. She was born in 1784 and played a significant role in shaping the life and character of one of America's most iconic leaders.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Nancy remained a popular choice, with several notable figures bearing the name. These include Nancy Mitford, born in 1904, a British novelist and biographer, and Nancy Reagan, born in 1921, the wife of former US President Ronald Reagan and a prominent First Lady.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Nancy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nancy, please contact us.

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"Nancy first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 9, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/nancy-meaning-and-history/.

"Nancy first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/nancy-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 9 November, 2024

Nancy first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/nancy-meaning-and-history/.

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