Nancy is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Nancy means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Nancy across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Nancy has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Nancy is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “grace”. originally a pet form of Ann.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 1,007,393 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 12,414 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 285 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 211 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 524 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Nancy per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1947 (32,502/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (861/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2025 (48/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2017 (22/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (18/yr).
Nancy has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1947, when it ranked #18 nationally (given to 32,502 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Nanci · Nancie · Nancee · Nancye · Nance · Nancey · Nuncio · Nansi
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