Pansy

An uncommon pick — distinctive and rare.

Girl's nameNot ranked recently Also a pet name
Rare name

Meaning & Origin

A female given name.

Pansy is a girl's baby name of French origin, from the French pensée, meaning 'thought, remembrance.' The pansy flower itself was named for this quality — in the Victorian language of flowers, pansies symbolized loving thoughts sent to another.

Pansy was popular as a flower name in the late Victorian era. J.K. Rowling used Pansy Parkinson as a character name in the Harry Potter series, and while that association carries some negative connotations, the name's floral beauty and thoughtful etymology remain genuinely appealing.

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Popularity Over Time

Pansy has 114+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.

06813720527318801900192019401960198020002018

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Pansy
DecadeBirthsTrend
2010s6
1990s29
1980s61
1970s196
1960s474
1950s813
1940s1,069
1930s1,896
1920s2,361
1910s2,045
1900s968
1890s719
1880s316

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(114 years, 18802018)
Year-by-year popularity data for the name Pansy
YearBirthsRank
20186#15193
19995#16209
19985#15930
19966#13024
19927#11362
19906#12464
19895#13879
19885#13278
198713#5842
19866#10491
19855#11941
198310#6569
198112#5801
19805#11629
19799#7130
197821#3601
197716#4367
197613#4822
197522#3227
197421#3282

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Pansy has two lives

Pansy, the baby name
Raregirls
10,953 babies
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Pansy, the pet name
#5929pet name
11 pets
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Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (18802018) · Methodology