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Home › Baby Names Directory › Agnieszka

Agnieszka

♀ Girl

Pronounced ahg-NYESH-kah /ɑɡˈnjɛʃ.kɑ/Medium

Meaning: Agnieszka is the Polish form of Agnes, from Greek hagne meaning 'chaste, holy, pure.' The name was long linked by folk association with Latin agnus, 'lamb,' a tie strengthened by Saint Agnes, an early Roman martyr often shown with a lamb. It is a fully established Polish name, not a coinage.High

In 30 seconds: Agnieszka is the Polish form of Agnes, from Greek for 'pure,' long linked to the Latin word for 'lamb.' In the US it stayed rare (said ahg-NYESH-kah).
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Origin HighPolish, Greek
MeaningAgnieszka is the Polish form of Agnes, from Greek hagne meaning 'chaste, holy, pure.' The name was long linked by folk association with Latin agnus, 'lamb,' a tie strengthened by Saint Agnes, an early Roman martyr often shown with a lamb. It is a fully established Polish name, not a coinage.
U.S. rank (2020)#12173 ↗ Rising
2020 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1990
Total births (all-time)≈ 233

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199019792020

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Agnieszka carries a deep European history as the Polish form of Agnes, honoring Saint Agnes of Rome and popular across Poland for generations. In United States birth records it appears from around 1979, almost entirely among Polish-American families, reaching a small high near 1990. It was never common here, given to only a couple dozen girls a year even at its peak - a common name in Warsaw but a rarity in America.

An American Agnieszka from around 1990 is now an adult, most likely with Polish heritage in the family. The name has not entered the mainstream US pool and is unlikely to; its four crisp syllables and NYESH cluster keep it a heritage choice rather than a crossover trend.

Did you know? Agnieszka is a genuine top-tier Polish name - borne by film director Agnieszka Holland and tennis star Agnieszka Radwanska - that reads as exotic and rare only outside Poland.
Overall data confidence 70%
References - Agnieszka — Polish form of Agnes; Greek hagne 'pure'; St Agnes

Variations

AgnesAgnetaInesNesa

Nicknames

AgaAggieOlaNieszka

Famous Bearers

  • ★Agnieszka Holland (b. 1948)
    Polish film and television director known for Europa Europa and In Darkness
  • ★Agnieszka Radwanska (b. 1989)
    Polish professional tennis player, former world number two

If you like Agnieszka…

Agnes— the root name it forms in Polish
Ines— a Romance-language cousin of Agnes
Waleska— lands in the same popularity range
Katrinka— a fellow Greek choice
Alexa— another classic pick

Explore names like Agnieszka

By themerareheritageclassicpolish

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Agnieszka mean?

It is the Polish form of Agnes, from Greek hagne meaning 'chaste, pure,' long linked to the Latin word for 'lamb.'

How do you pronounce Agnieszka?

It's said ahg-NYESH-kah /ɑɡˈnjɛʃ.kɑ/, three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Agnieszka a boy or girl name?

Agnieszka is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Agnieszka?

It is common in Poland but rare in the United States, where it has stayed a Polish-heritage choice given to only a small number of girls a year.

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