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Original poster

Agnes? (Nn Nancy?)

62 replies

Izzyathome · 09/03/2017 07:13

I recently met a really adorable blonde curly two year old girl called Agnes and it has really turned me on to the name. It's my grandma's name so it would have a nice meaning for us. She was always known as Nancy and we already have Nancy on our list - but suddenly the full name of Agnes feels fresher.

Do you think Agnes is nice on its own? Would you have Agnes nn. Nancy? Or just Nancy? Or neither?

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FrenchLavender · 09/03/2017 13:40

Agnes is fine, Nancy is fine, but naming her Agnes in order to call her Nancy is just plain ridiculous.

Pick the one you like best and stop overthinking it. But if you pick Agnes then PLEASE call her Agnes and not Aggie, which is awful.

Sophronia · 09/03/2017 14:18

I love Agnes! Not keen on Nancy though.

CakeRattleandRoll · 09/03/2017 15:18

Love both of them. (Would use Nessa as nn for Agnes.)

BaymaxismyHero · 09/03/2017 15:20

Nancy is lovely. Personally I think Agnes is an ugly name.

MollyHuaCha · 09/03/2017 15:22

I love Agnes, also Agatha. I'm not so keen on Nancy.

BounceBounceSplishSplash · 09/03/2017 16:06

I don't like the name Agnes. I like Nancy though and wouldn't associate it as a nn for Agnes so would just put Nancy on the BC.

(I know an unpleasant Agnes so that might be what is putting me off the name).

ActuallyThatsSUPREMECommander · 09/03/2017 16:11

I like Agnes. Actually all 3 of the Despicable Me girls are good retro names now, Margo, Edith and Agnes. Twenty years ago they'd have been hilariously awful but now they're really chic.

DramaAlpaca · 09/03/2017 16:24

I like Agnes, but I'm not keen on Nancy.

FrancisCrawford · 09/03/2017 17:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thebakerwithboobs · 09/03/2017 17:29

Nessa reminds me of Gavin and Stacey and Nancy is what our family call your lady parts! So it's a no to both from me Grin

ClaryIsTheBest · 09/03/2017 17:55

Senga? Huh, interesting. Senga does sound rather nice, doesn't it? But as a standalone name, not as a nickname for Agnes...

florascotianew · 09/03/2017 18:18

I think it depends on which part of Scotland you come from, but I know more than one old lady Agnes usually called Nancy. So to my mind that's traditional, even though Anne and Agnes are different names, as one previous poster suggests. The Scottish legal phrase 'by custom and practice' is relevant here, I think.

Senga is (obviously) Agnes reversed and - at least in Glasgow - is slang for a girl from disadvantaged housing location/family background.

Annis is widely used as a pronounciation of Agnes in the north and east of Scotland and I think it sounds rather nice. As does - as a different previous poster says - the French Agnes = Ann-yeyss.

ClaryIsTheBest · 09/03/2017 18:19

is slang for a girl from disadvantaged housing location/family background.

oops. I take it back... :o

SoberSusan · 09/03/2017 18:21

My grandma was Agnes known as Nancy too. Love both names!

mum2be2boys · 10/03/2017 21:12

I prefer the name Nancy.

I'm not sure how Nancy is a nn for Agnes, but my grandmother was Olive known as Jo which I don't get either so maybe it's a grandparents generation thing?!

Cami12 · 10/03/2017 21:59

I'd love to meet a two year old Agnes! Very cute / vintage / cool. Go for it.

blueskyinmarch · 10/03/2017 22:03

My DM is named Agnes but has been known as Nancy all her life. She says it has always been a nn for Agnes. Fwiw she HATES the name Agnes but loves Nancy (as do I). Why not just call your DD Nancy?

Original poster
Izzyathome · 10/03/2017 22:04

Thanks for all the feedback! Agnes is still growing on me. Worried about this Senga slang name though. Never heard of it (all our Scottish rellies are too old for slang I think😄).

Any Scottish people - is this a thing? Would the name Agnes make you think of the slang word Senga? Would it put you off??

Wouldn't want to inadvertartly name my daughter Scally😄😄

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Buntysoven · 11/03/2017 00:49

I have a Nancy so obviously love it. DH already calls her Nance but not Nan as that's his mum! Agnes is very cool but a bit of a grumpy name to me.

Kittykatmacbill · 11/03/2017 19:33

Agnes is lovely and I really wanted it, dh didn't like it - boo hiss. There was one in dd1 nursery class and always felt faintly jealous. It's my grans name, but her nn was always nan.

Dd2 has another dispicable me though... (not any relatives name.)

Mumzypopz · 11/03/2017 20:51

Sorry really don't like the name Agnes. Nancy is ok though.

dotdotdotmustdash · 11/03/2017 23:24

Scot here. As far as I know, Nancy is the East Coast/Edinburgh nn for Agnes, and Senga is more from the West coast/Glasgow area.

I'm from the East, and I know several Nancys who have Agnes on their BC.

What about Agyness (from the model/actress Agyness Deyn)?

Original poster
Izzyathome · 14/03/2017 04:06

Me again - slightly prefer Agnes at the moment, even if not to everyone's taste. It also goes slightly better with our surname. So.. although it doesn't need a nick name, what about Netta? Does that make sense?(Trying to steer away front Aggie!)

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Original poster
Izzyathome · 14/03/2017 04:08

(Quite like Agyness thanks dotdot, but think if we're commiting to Agnes anyway we would just stick to the traditional spelling.)

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FrancisCrawford · 14/03/2017 05:40

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