Nancy
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Nancy
To some, Nancy is a sweet, sparkly, vintage choice with plenty of energy and style. For it strays too much into '"old-lady" territory to be cool again yet. It's out of fashion in France, New Zealand, and Canada; it lingers towards to bottom of the US charts. In the UK however, Nancy has been a Top 100 name for nearly a decade where it fits right in with Evie, Mabel, and Pippa.
Nancy originated as a contraction of "mine Ancy", with Ancy being a nickname for name Annis, a Medieval English variant of Agnes. Later, in the 18th century, it began to be used as a nickname for Ann too, but also as a name within its own right. This could give it the possibly meanings of "my pure and holy one" or "my grace".
It is also a French place name, though in this case, the name is likely derived from Nanciao, a Ghaulish personal name, which came from nanto, meaning "river or valley" in Proto-Celtic.
As a name in its own right, it has always been in the US Top 1000, peaking between 1931 and 1962 when it remained in the Top 20. In 1940 alone, Nancy was given to about 20,000 baby girls. In recent years, however it has been on a downward trend, and as of 2023, it was given to 280 girls, holding on to just a small fraction of the sway in held in the mid-century.
Today, it might feel like a distinctly British choice then, nickname-y and old-fashioned, but pleasing to say and easy to spell. It also has a couple of interesting variations itself, such as Nan, Nance, Nanette, Nanny, Nansi, and Nanou.
Nancy is a major character in Oliver Twist and is fondly remembered by some as Nancy Drew, girl detective, while contemporary kids are enjoying the Fancy Nancy series. Frank Sinatra paid tribute to his daughter with the song "Nancy with the Laughing Face." Nancy also has political ties, via the mother of Abraham Lincoln, the wife of Ronald Reagan (born Anne), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Nancy is also given to boys.
Pronounced NAN-see.
As of October 2026, Nancy ranked #967 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #6 in 1950, Nameberry popularity #276.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #755 | 371 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #813 | 345 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #900 | 310 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #872 | 314 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #833 | 326 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #895 | 298 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #897 | 295 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #946 | 279 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #993 | 266 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #942 | 281 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #921 | 288 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #967 | 265 | — | 0 |
World rankings
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Nancy on lists
Famous Nancys
- Nancy Hanks LincolnGirl
mother of Abraham Lincoln
- Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins)Girl
U.S. First Lady as wife of President Ronald Reagan
- Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro PelosiGirl
former U.S. Speaker of the House
- Nancy Lamoureaux WilsonGirl
American lead singer of band Heart
- Nancy Sandra SinatraGirl
American singer; daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra
- Nancy Jean CartwrightGirl
American voice actress
- Nancy Ann KerriganGirl
American Olympic figure skating champ
- Nancy Nabil AjramGirl
Lebanese pop singer
- Nancy Ann GraceGirl
American legal commentator and prosecutor
- Nancy MitfordGirl
English novelist
- Nancy Justine McKeonGirl
American actress
- Nancy WakeGirl
New Zealand agent in World War II
- Nancy Laura SpungenGirl
girlfriend of the Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious
- Anna Selina "Nancy" StoraceGirl
English soprano
- Nancy Jane KulpGirl
American character actress
- Nancy Ann TravisGirl
American actress
- Nancy CameronGirl
daughter of British Prime Minister, David Cameron
- Nancy Leigh "Naleigh" Kelly (adopted 2009)Girl
daughter of American actress Katherine Heigl
- Nancy Jewel McDonieGirl
American, Korean singer of girl group Momoland
- Nancy "Ka Shen" KwanGirl
Chinese,American actress
- Nancy Ellen Guthrie (nee Long)Girl
mother of American news anchor Savannah Guthrie and subject of internationally-known 2026 missing persons case
Nancy in pop culture
- Nancy BotwinGirl
main character on TV's "Weeds"
- Nancy DrewGirl
mystery series created by Carolyn Keene and its main character
- NancyGirl
character in Dickens' "Oliver Twist"
- NancyGirl
character in Archie & Friends comics
- Nancy CallahanGirl
character in novel/film "Sin City"
- NancyGirl
character on "Kimberly"
- Nancy NicholsGirl
character on TV's "Doc"
- Nancy BobofitGirl
character in the 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' series
- Nancy IngeldewGirl
character in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
- Nancy DownsGirl
character in movie "The Craft"
- Nancy LandgraabGirl
character in "The Sims" (3&4) computer games
- Nancy WheelerGirl
character on TV's "Stranger Things"
- Nancy WestonGirl
character on TV's "Thirtysomething"
- Miss NancyGirl
main character in novelette "The Sitter's Hand" by author Tina Tirrell
- "Nancy MulliganGirl
" song by Ed Sheeran
- "Fancy NancyGirl
" children's book and TV series
- "For the Love of NancyGirl
" 1994 made,for,TV movie
- "Sid and NancyGirl
" 1986 British biopic about Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen
- Nancy BlackettGirl
main character in the "Swallows and Amazons" series
- NancyGirl
comic strip character
- Nancy ShawcrossGirl
character in "A God in Ruins" by Kate Atkinson
- Nancy GoldfinchGirl
character in the webcomic "Riverside Extras" by Miri Chamberlain
- Nancy LandgraabGirl
character in the Sims franchise