Nancy began in medieval England as a pet form of Annis, a version of Agnes, and was later understood as a diminutive of Ann, so it is usually translated as "grace" or "favor". It was one of the great mid-century American names, a top 10 choice from the 1930s to the 1950s, borne by Nancy Reagan, Nancy Pelosi and the girl detective Nancy Drew. Nancy stood at number 232 in 2000 and has slipped since, ranking number 967 among girls' names in 2025.