girl's name
Inès
ee-NESS
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (France)
- Births on record 129,266
France
#66
2025 births
Inès is a girl's name meaning "pure" or "holy," the French and Spanish form of Agnes. It ranks sixty-sixth in France and 714th in England and Wales, and is falling from a peak in 2003.
- Inès is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 2010, when 4,950 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 854 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
Inès over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 445 |
| 1910s | 490 |
| 1920s | 920 |
| 1930s | 715 |
| 1940s | 335 |
| 1950s | 500 |
| 1960s | 635 |
| 1970s | 830 |
| 1980s | 2,045 |
| 1990s | 16,365 |
| 2000s | 45,855 |
| 2010s | 39,910 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 9,415 |
What Inès means
Inès means pure, chaste or holy, from the Greek hagnos. The Latin agnus, a lamb, is a separate word that attached itself to the name early, which is why Saint Agnes is depicted with a lamb.
Where Inès comes from
Inès is the French spelling of the Spanish Ines, itself from Agnes, from the Greek hagne, pure or holy. The similarity to the Latin agnus, a lamb, is coincidental but ancient, and it gave Saint Agnes her emblem and her association with the blessing of lambs on her feast day. The name's Iberian history is dominated by Ines de Castro, murdered in 1355 on the orders of her lover's father and, by legend, crowned queen of Portugal after her death when Pedro I had her body exhumed and enthroned. The grave accent in the French spelling marks the open e and distinguishes it from the Spanish Inés with an acute.
Inès in use
Inès ranks sixty-sixth in France with about 935 births in 2025, and our records show a peak in 2003, so it is past its high point. The spelling splits by country: France writes Inès, Spain Inés, and England and Wales record the unaccented Ines at 714. Our data carries the name from 1900 and holds more than 127,000 births across markets.
How popular is Inès?
In 2025, Inès was given to 690 babies in France, ranking #66 that year. It is one of the most popular names in France.
Where Inès is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Inès is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Ines | Ines is a spelling of Inès, used in the United States, where it ranks #1,112. | 24,405 |
| Inés | Inés is Inès written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #1,101. | 1,036 |
| Inês | Inês is Inès written with a circumflex, used in France, where it ranks #1,915. | 465 |
| Inës | Inës is a rare spelling of Inès, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 30 times, mostly in France. | 30 |
Names that peaked alongside Inès
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Inès also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Inès over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Inès in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Inès
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Inès — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Inès
What does the name Inès mean?
Inès means "pure" or "holy," from the Greek hagne. It is a form of Agnes.
Is Agnes related to the Latin for lamb?
Not by derivation, but the resemblance is ancient and gave Saint Agnes her emblem.
What is the difference between Inès and Inés?
The accent. France uses a grave accent, Spain an acute; England and Wales record the unaccented Ines.
Who was Ines de Castro?
A Portuguese noblewoman murdered in 1355 and, by legend, crowned queen after her death.
Is Inès a girl's or a boy's name?
Inès is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
When was Inès most popular?
Inès peaked in 2010, when 4,950 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Inès a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Inès currently ranks #66 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.