INES MEANING

Etymology & Historical Origin of the Name Ines

Ines is another variation of Agnes (mainly French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish). The French render the name as Inès while in Spanish the accent mark goes the opposite direction (Inés). The Portuguese write Inês and the English (when used) render the name unaccented or spell it Inez. The name’s original root, Agnes, is the Latinized form of the Greek name Hagnē (Ἁγνὴ), derived from “hagnos” meaning “chaste, pure”. Enduring usage of Agnes/Ines is owed almost entirely to an early 4th century saint, one of the so-called “virgin-martyrs”, Agnes of Rome. St. Agnes holds the distinction of being one of only seven female saints (excluding the Virgin Mary) commemorated in the Canon of the Holy Mass (the other six are: Cecilia, Agatha, Lucy, Perpetua, Felicity and Anastasia). Born to the Roman aristocracy c. 291, Agnes was not only educated and wealthy, but she was also said to be quite beautiful and not without her share of many male admirers. However, the “chaste” Agnes, a girl of about 13, refused to marry anyone, as she had already given herself over to Christ as His bride. One of her rejected suitors angrily turned her into the Roman authorities, essentially “outing” her as a Christian (illegal in the then-pagan Roman Empire), and she was consequently sentenced to death. However, since it was against Roman law to execute a virgin, Agnes was dragged to a brothel in an attempt to deflower her. According to legend, the Holy Spirit interceded and all sorts of miraculous circumstances prevented her rape (she grew hair all over her body, the men were struck blind before they could attack her, and so forth). As with many early saints, a cult grew up around Agnes/Ines in the Middle Ages and so the name spread throughout Christian Europe; a particular favorite among royalty and noblewomen. Adding further dimension to this age-old name is the fact that “agnus” is the Latin word for “lamb” (so you often see St. Agnes depicted with a lamb by her side or in her arms). Inès remains a highly popular name in France and Inés is extremely common in Spain. This cosmopolitan-cool name is also used with a fair amount of regularity in Belgium, Catalonia and Sweden.

Personality

The Number 2 personality in numerology is all about cooperation and balance. It’s the number of diplomats and mediators. They are not leaders, but strive rather for harmony in partnerships. These are the peacemakers. Equality and fairness are important in their dealings, and they are willing to share power and responsibility to achieve a harmonious outcome. This personality is calm and patient, waiting for things to evolve instead of pushing aggressively for an outcome. They are good-natured and easy-going, and care deeply on an emotional and spiritual plane. Twos appreciate beauty and nature and are intent on making the world a better place.

Popularity

Inez has always been the preferred spelling of Ines in the United States. However, today, neither one of these names is on America’s Top 1000 list nor given to even 100 baby girls per year. Similarly, Agnes is no longer on the charts. Still, we feel that Ines is a cosmopolitan name since it continues to be used with much enthusiasm throughout Europe (as well as Latin America). It’s a simple name with a pretty pronunciation and far less harsh than old Agnes. The etymology is probably a little too old-fashioned by today’s standards, but Ines/Agnes will always be a favorite among devout Roman Catholics.

Quick Facts

GENDER: Girl

ORIGIN: French

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES: 2

RANKING POPULARITY: N/A

PRONUNCIATION: ee-NES

SIMPLE MEANING: Chaste, pure

Characteristics

Cooperative

Considerate

Compassionate

Nurturing

Sensitive

Patient

Loving

Kind

Gracious

Balanced

Famous People

As a first name, it is used by:

• Inés Alberdi (born 1948), Spanish sociologist
• Inés Ayala (born 1957), Spanish politician
• Inés Arrondo (born 1977), Argentine field hockey player
• Ines Aru (born 1939), Estonian actress
• Inês de Castro (1325–1355), Galician noblewoman, wife of King Peter I of Portugal
• Ines Diers (born 1963), German swimmer
• Inés Echeverría (1868–1949), Chilean writer
• Inés Efron (born 1985), Argentine actress
• Inés Ferrer Suárez (born 1990), Spanish tennis player
• Inès de La Fressange (born 1957), French model and fashion designer
• Inés García de Durán (born 1928), Colombian folklorist
• Inés Gaviria (born 1979), Colombian singer
• Ines Geißler (born 1963), German swimmer
• Inés Gorrochategui (born 1973), Argentine tennis player
• Inês Henriques (born 1980), Portuguese race walker
• Inès Ligron (born 1962), French fashion and beauty expert
• Ines Maričić (born 1988), Croatian 9 pin bowling player
• Inés Melchor (born 1986), Peruvian long-distance runner
• Inés Mendoza (1908–1990), Puerto Rican teacher, writer and socialite, the First Lady
• Inés Molina, Argentine actress
• Inês Monteiro (born 1980), Portuguese runner
• Ines Müller (born 1959), German shot putter
• Inés Palombo (born 1985), Argentine actress and model
• Ines Pellegrini (born 1954), Eritrean-Italian actress
• Ines Putri (born 1989), Indonesian beauty pageant
• Inés Remersaro (born 1992), Uruguayan swimmer
• Inés Rivero (born 1975), Argentine model
• Inés Rodena (1905–1985), Cuban radio and television writer
• Inés Sainz (born c. 1978), Mexican journalist
• Inés Sastre (born 1973), Spanish model and actress
• Inés de Suárez (c. 1507–1580), Spanish conquistadora
• Ines Torelli (born 1931), Swiss comedian, radio personality, and stage, voice and film actress
• Inés de la Torre (fl 1618), Spanish courtier
• Ines Uusmann (born 1948), Swedish politician
• Ines Alvidres (born 1984),Mexican Painter

As a middle name:

• María Inés (María Inés Guerra Núñez; born 1983), Mexican TV-hostess, actress and singer
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, O.S.H.(12 November 1651 – 17 April 1695) New Spain (current Mexico) nun and poet

Sources:

https://ohbabynames.com/all-baby-names/ines/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ines_(name)