Nancy
NAN-see
A familiar English pet form of Anne, carrying the classic sense of grace.
Meaning
Nancy is treated in the excerpts as a nickname or pet name from Ann/Anne, and ultimately from Hebrew roots meaning ‘grace.’ One 19th-century source also lists Nancy directly under the sense ‘Heb. grace,’ reflecting that older naming tradition rather than a separate etymology.
Origin
EnglishHebrewfeminine
Fun fact
The excerpts group Nancy with other Anne-based forms like Nan and Nanette, showing how widely this nickname family spread in English and French use.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.