Girl's name
Agnes
Say it AG-nus
Greek origin pure, chaste
2 syllables
Where Agnes is loved, common and rare
Common across Sweden and Norway. Rare in Canada, Britain, Austria and six more places. Loved in Denmark.
1 in 3,206 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
Sweden 17thNorway 49thQuebec 346th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 14 of the 40 official lists, among them Sweden (17th), Norway (49th) and Quebec (346th).
Show all 14 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 17th 2025 | 372 | about 1 in 108 |
| Norway | 49th 2025 | 127 | 1 in 172 |
| Quebec province | 346th 2025 | 15 | about 1 in 1,734 |
| England and Wales | 509th 2025 | 79 | 1 in 3,206 |
| Austria | 515th 2025 | 9 | 1 in 3,969 |
| Scotland | 539th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 3,578 |
| France as Agnès | 564th 2025 | 85 | 1 in 3,374 |
| Cologne city | 630th 2023 | 1 | about 1 in 6,143 |
| Poland | 706th 2025 | 2 | 1 in 59,894 |
| Switzerland as Agnès | 1013th 2025 | 8 | 1 in 4,249 |
| Ontario province | 1180th 2024 | 9 | about 1 in 6,052 |
| Italy | 1359th 2024 | 6 | 1 in 29,862 |
| Denmark | 3rd 2025 | 450 | rank only |
| Leipzig city | 212th 2025 | 2 | about 1 in 1,312 |
Rare, below the listed names: Northern Ireland, Ireland, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Berlin, Munich, Bonn, Rostock, Spain, Catalonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Statistics Denmark (DST) (Denmark); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig). How we count, and every source
About the name
Agnes goes back to the Ancient Greek Hagnḗ, from hagnós, 'pure, chaste'. Saint Agnes of Rome, an early martyr, made the name widely known across Christian Europe. Inez is a doublet of it, meaning the two names grew from the same root.
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Two syllables, said AG-nus, with the stress on the first. Aggie is the familiar short form. Agnès is the French spelling, and Agnieszka, Agnete and Agnethe are forms from other languages.
Scandinavia is its heartland today. It is a top-3 name in Denmark and popular in Sweden and Norway. English-speaking countries use it less, with modest numbers in Quebec, England and Wales, and Scotland. French records show a peak in the 1960s, and it is currently steady, so it is an old name that has kept a strong place in northern Europe.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- AG-nus, 2 syllables
- Meaning
pure, chaste
- Origin
- Greek
Counted together here: Agnès.
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἁγνή (Hagnḗ), coming from Ancient Greek ἁγνός (hagnós, “pure, chaste”), Ancient Greek ἁγνεία (hagneía, “purity, chastity”). Doublet of Inez.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 3 of 10 regions, falling in 2.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 361 | 376 | 392 | 414 | 416 | 412 | 419 | 574 | 474 | 509 |
| Scotland | 383 | 446 | 502 | 650 | 765 | 792 | 630 | 476 | 539 | |
| Ireland | 661 | 579 | 512 | 551 | 834 | 586 | 634 | 856 | 736 | |
| Ontario | 796 | 1007 | 627 | 832 | 894 | 896 | 1437 | 1180 | ||
| British Columbia | 513 | 667 | ||||||||
| Quebec | 730 | 707 | 337 | 388 | 496 | 491 | 314 | 536 | 412 | 346 |
| France | 694 | 500 | 600 | 544 | 514 | 603 | 570 | 590 | 587 | 564 |
| Austria | 235 | 270 | 247 | 324 | 332 | 277 | 257 | 337 | 274 | 515 |
| Switzerland | 1130 | 640 | 832 | 843 | 830 | 970 | 1298 | 733 | 995 | 1013 |
| Berlin | 386 | 803 | 1007 | 809 | 978 | 325 | 641 | |||
| Cologne | 236 | 345 | 439 | 684 | 435 | 630 | ||||
| Rostock | 158 | |||||||||
| Norway | 52 | 56 | 46 | 47 | 40 | 45 | 45 | 58 | 55 | 49 |
| Sweden | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
| Denmark | 12 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| Iceland | 150 | 131 | ||||||||
| Catalonia | 261 | 272 | 319 | 244 | 204 | 316 | 433 | 320 | 381 | |
| Italy | 1821 | 2258 | 1359 | |||||||
| Poland | 711 | 520 | 616 | 516 | 721 | 706 | ||||
| Slovenia | 227 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 509 | 79 | 31.2 |
| 2024 | 474 | 86 | 33.3 |
| 2023 | 574 | 67 | 26.1 |
| 2022 | 419 | 101 | 38.3 |
| 2021 | 412 | 108 | 39.4 |
| 2020 | 416 | 102 | 38.0 |
| 2019 | 414 | 102 | 36.4 |
| 2018 | 392 | 113 | 39.2 |
| 2017 | 376 | 122 | 40.8 |
| 2016 | 361 | 133 | 43.3 |
| 2015 | 334 | 140 | 45.5 |
| 2014 | 448 | 97 | 31.6 |
| 2013 | 639 | 64 | 20.7 |
| 2012 | 580 | 73 | 22.7 |
| 2011 | 603 | 67 | 20.9 |
| 2010 | 758 | 48 | 15.0 |
| 2009 | 576 | 66 | 21.1 |
| 2008 | 845 | 39 | 12.4 |
| 2007 | 899 | 34 | 11.1 |
| 2006 | 890 | 33 | 11.0 |
| 2005 | 1165 | 21 | 7.3 |
| 2004 | 840 | 32 | 11.2 |
| 2003 | 1129 | 20 | 7.2 |
| 2002 | 998 | 22 | 8.2 |
| 2001 | 992 | 21 | 7.8 |
| 2000 | 852 | 26 | 9.5 |
| 1999 | 1018 | 20 | 7.1 |
| 1998 | 995 | 21 | 7.3 |
| 1997 | 874 | 25 | 8.5 |
| 1996 | 1914 | 8 | 2.7 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Agnes in France since 1925 were born in or after 1963. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 1964, at 876.4 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Agnes per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 1964 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Agnes
1 in 1,214 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 405 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 911 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 5,964 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Agnes.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Elise.
1 in 632 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 4,473 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 2,093 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 2,347 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 1,408 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Agnes.
1 in 21,107 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Agnes. Same first letter as Agnes.
Middle names for Agnes
1 in 71 in Scotland
Agnes Olivia
2-4 beats · initials AO
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Agnes Emily
2-3 beats · initials AE
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Agnes Grace
2-1 beats · initials AG
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Agnes Maria
2-3 beats · initials AM
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 162 in England and Wales
Agnes Evelyn
2-3 beats · initials AE
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Agnes Rose
2-1 beats · initials AR
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 88 in Scotland
Agnes Amelia
2-4 beats · initials AA
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 325 in Ireland
Agnes Elizabeth
2-4 beats · initials AE
Changes the beat after Agnes: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables.
Same style as Agnes
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 649 in England and Wales
91% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
1 in 5,964 in Scotland
90% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
1 in 4,473 in Scotland
89% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
1 in 632 in England and Wales
89% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
1 in 3,521 in Ireland
88% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
1 in 2,113 in Ireland
88% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
1 in 1,056 in Ireland
88% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
1 in 405 in Northern Ireland
87% alike: moves with Agnes across countries and decades.
Famous people named Agnes
Agnes of Rome, Agnes Moorehead, Ágnes Keleti, Agnès Jaoui, Agnès Sorel, Ágnes Heller, Agnes of Poitou and Agnes Arber.
Show all 8Show less
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Christian martyr 291 to 304
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American actress (1900–1974)
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Hungarian-Israeli artistic gymnast (1921–2025)
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French actress, film director, screenwriter and singer born 1964
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French Royal mistress (1422-1450)
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Hungarian philosopher and academic 1929 to 2019
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Holy Roman Empress 1025 to 1077
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British botanist (1879-1960)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Agnes
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Agnes?
Her best rank is No. 3 in Denmark in 2025. She is in the published lists of 14 of our 40 regions.
What does Agnes mean?
Wiktionary glosses Agnes as "pure, chaste".
How do you pronounce Agnes?
AG-nus, with 2 syllables.
Is Agnes getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 3 of 10 regions, falling in 2.
Which sister names go with Agnes?
The deck's top five sisters for Agnes: Catherine, Lydia, Josephine, Elisabeth and Beatrice. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.