Nessie
Alternative spelling of Nessie, a diminutive of Agnes, a Greek name meaning "pure" or "holy".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Nessie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nessie today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nessie births was 1915 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nessie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nessie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1915
10 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,935
Tracked since 1902
Popularity
Nessie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nessie from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 50 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nessie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nessie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nessie
The name Nessie is a diminutive form of the name Agnes, which is derived from the Greek word "hagnos" meaning "pure" or "chaste." The name Agnes has been in use since ancient Greek and Roman times, and it was particularly popular among early Christian martyrs and saints.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nessie can be found in the writings of the 5th century Roman historian Procopius, who mentioned a woman named Nessie who was a member of the imperial court in Constantinople. However, it is likely that the name was in use even before this time, particularly in the regions around the Mediterranean where Greek and Latin were spoken.
In the Middle Ages, the name Nessie became more widespread, particularly in Scotland and Ireland, where it was likely influenced by the Gaelic form of the name, "Naomhag." One notable bearer of the name was Nessie of Kildare, an Irish nun who lived in the 5th century and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.
During the Renaissance period, the name Nessie continued to be used, particularly in England and Scotland. One famous bearer of the name was Nessie Beaumont, an English poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century and was known for her translations of Greek and Latin works.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Nessie became less common, but it was still used in some parts of Europe. One notable bearer of the name was Nessie de Rothschild, a member of the famous Rothschild banking family who lived in the 19th century and was known for her philanthropy and support of the arts.
In more recent times, the name Nessie has been used as a nickname for the legendary Loch Ness Monster, which is said to inhabit the waters of Loch Ness in Scotland. This association has likely contributed to the name's continued use and popularity in some parts of the world.
People
Nessie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nessie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nessie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nessie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nessie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Nessie a common name?
We classify Nessie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 92 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nessie most popular?
The single biggest year for Nessie was 1915, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nessie is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nessie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nessie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.