The Name Agnes

My name is Robin Goodfellow: Puck

However the Polish pronunciation of Puck is just unbelievable.

Agnes is one of those names which belong to 19th century novels...consigned to history. It's strange how some names from those days are still being given to babies today while others (like Agnes) are considered old fashioned and nobody would inflict them on today's offspring. Emma is still very much in vogue, while Agnes is definietely not, like Doris, Ethel, Cuthbert, Egbert, Gladys, Hector, Maud, Violet, Lilian, Norman, Silas...........

Cornwall has a really lovely little place called St Agnes. Check it out and see a panoramic view of cool Celtic Cornwall from the Beacon at St Agnes:

http://www.st-agnes.com/gallery/index.php

>> Doris, Ethel, Cuthbert, Egbert, Gladys, Hector, Maud, Violet, Lilian, Norman, Silas........... <<

I can understand why no one would name their kid the others, but what's wrong with Lilian and Silas?

"Should it be Agnes's mother or Agnes' mother?"


It is always Agnes' - even if it is singular.

In English, all names that end in S - Agnes, Charles, etc - always have the apostrophe after the S and it's never Agnes's or Charles's etc.

I think I prefer Agnes to Agnieszka.

"I've always thought of Agnes as being a very Scottish name, sort of like Angus!"

Agnes is not Scottish. It's Greek

It derives from the Greek word hagne, the feminine form of hagnos, meaning "chaste" or "sacred".