Agnes

A1G2N1E1S1
/ˈæɡ.nɪs/

proper noun

A female given name from Ancient Greek.

OriginAncient Greek Ἁγνή →
Less commonScrabble 6
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A female given name from Ancient Greek.

    Why do you call Mrs. Stone Aggie? Agnes is such a beautiful name, it is a shame to nick it in that way." Then, quickly regretting his impatience, he added, "You would not have been jealous, would you, Jenny?

    1876, Annie Howells Fréchette, “Reuben Dale”, in The Galaxy, W.C. and F.P.Church, 1876, page 394
    2 more examples

    Right then and there in her mind she had christened it Agnes, the only name she knew elegant enough for such a peerless creature. - - - She held the doll so her brothers could see. "Look, isn't she beautiful? Her name is Agnes.[...]Agnes? Agnes?" Jack gagged realistically. "What a soppy name! Why don't you call her Margaret or Betty?

    1977, Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds, Harper & Row, →ISBN, page 3,5

    I found myself wanting to explain it to her, this middle-aged woman with the kind of haircut you call a hairdo, which needed to be set in rollers every night, who had a name like Agnes or Harriet, a name that even predated my mother's generation.

    1995, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America, Riverhead Books, →ISBN, page 14
  2. A locality in South Gippsland Shire, south eastern Victoria, Australia.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἁγνεία“purity, chastity”
  2. Ancient Greekἁγνός“pure, chaste”
  3. Ancient GreekἉγνή
  4. EnglishAgnes

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἁγνή (Hagnḗ), coming from Ancient Greek ἁγνός (hagnós, “pure, chaste”), Ancient Greek ἁγνεία (hagneía, “purity, chastity”). Doublet of Inez.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque Añes
  • Añesfemale given name
Catalan Agnès
  • Agnèsfemale given name
Chinese Mandarin 阿格尼絲 /阿格尼丝, 艾格尼絲 /艾格尼丝
  • 阿格尼絲 /阿格尼丝 (Āgénísī)female given name
  • 艾格尼絲 /艾格尼丝 (Àigénísī)female given name
  • 愛格妮思 /爱格妮思 (Àigénīsī)female given name
  • 阿格奈什 (Āgénàishí)female given name
  • 阿涅絲 /阿涅丝 (Ānièsī)female given name
  • 依搦斯 (Yīnuòsī)female given name
Czech Anežka
  • Anežkafemale given name
Danish Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Dutch Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Estonian Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Finnish Aune
  • Aunefemale given name
French Agnès
  • Agnèsfemale given name
German Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Greek Αγνή
  • Αγνή (Agní)female given name
Hawaiian ʻAkeneki
  • ʻAkenekifemale given name
Hungarian Ágnes
  • Ágnesfemale given name
Icelandic Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Irish Aignéas
  • Aignéasfemale given name
Italian Agnese
  • Agnesefemale given name
Latin Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Latvian Agnese
  • Agnesefemale given name
Norwegian Bokmål Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Polish Agnieszka, Jagna
  • Agnieszkafemale given name
  • Jagnafemale given name
Portuguese Inês
  • Inêsfemale given name
Romanian Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Russian Агне́сса
  • Агне́сса (Agnéssa)female given name
Scottish Gaelic Aigneas
  • Aigneasfemale given name
Slovak Agnesa, Agneša
  • Agnesafemale given name
  • Agnešafemale given name
Spanish Inés, Ynés
  • Inésfemale given name
  • Ynésfemale given name
Swedish Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name
Ukrainian Агнеса
  • Агнеса (Ahnesa)female given name
Vietnamese Anê
  • Anêfemale given name
Welsh Agnes
  • Agnesfemale given name

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Senga
Cite this entry
APA

Agnes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Agnes

MLA

“Agnes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Agnes. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Agnes,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Agnes.

Source: Agnes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.