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Nesta

♀ Girl

Pronounced NES-tah /ˈnɛs.tɑ/High

Meaning: A Welsh form of Agnes — from the Greek hagne, 'pure; holy; chaste'Low

In 30 seconds: Pure; holy: Nesta is the Welsh Agnes. Crisp, classic, and warm.

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Origin LowWelsh, Greek

MeaningA Welsh form of Agnes — from the Greek hagne, 'pure; holy; chaste'

U.S. rank (2024)#9353 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births11 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1937

Total births (all-time)≈ 99

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Nesta is a Welsh form of Agnes — from the Greek hagne, 'pure; holy; chaste'. A crisp, classic name (a medieval Welsh princess bore it; said 'NES-tah').

In the U.S. it appears in Welsh families (and, as a middle name, in Reggae culture). Rare, pure-and-holy at the root, and crisp.

Did you know? Agnes comes from the Greek hagne, 'pure; holy' — Nesta is the Welsh form, crisp and old (said 'NES-tah').

Overall data confidence 36%

References — Nesta — Welsh form of Agnes

Variations

NestNesita

Nicknames

Nes

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Nesta…

Agnes— the source name

Greta— a sound-neighbor -eta girls' name

Rita— a fellow Greek choice

Delta— lands in the same popularity range

Gretta— shares Nesta's Greek roots

Explore names like Nesta

By themegreek welsh

By meaningGod / Divine Purity

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Nesta mean?

Nesta is a Welsh form of Agnes — Greek 'pure; holy'.

How do you pronounce Nesta?

It's said NES-tah /ˈnɛs.tɑ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Nesta a boy or girl name?

Nesta is used mostly for girls (Bob Marley's middle name was Nesta); this page covers its use as a girl's name.

How popular is Nesta?

Nesta is a very rare name in the U.S.