Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Agatha

Agatha is an English female name, the Latinized form of the ancient Greek Agathe (Αγαθη), from “agathos” meaning “good”. The name primarily owes its long-lasting endurance in usage to a popular 3rd century saint, St. Agatha of Sicily. St. Agatha 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, Agnes, Lucy, Perpetua, Felicity and Anastasia). St. Agatha was a wealthy young woman from a noble family and, although she probably had a bevy of suitors, she had long ago consecrated herself to Christ (refusing all men but Him). That didn’t work out too well for a Roman official named Quintianus who happened to have designs on the fresh, young teenager. However, when Agatha rejected his advances, Quintianus had her arrested for her Christian faith (then illegal in the pagan Roman Empire). Faced with unspeakable acts of torture, St. Agatha only became stronger and more steadfast in her faith. According to legend, St. Agatha’s breasts were cut off by her persecutors and, as a result, she is venerated as the patroness of breast cancer patients. Due to the popularity of her cult during the Middles Ages, Agatha’s name perpetuated. She was also one of the most highly venerated of the so-called “virgin” martyrs during the Middle Ages. Naming one’s child after a saint was seen as a measure of protection during precarious medieval times. And it could certainly be said that St. Agatha lived up to the “goodness” in her name! Probably the most familiar modern name bearer would be the prolific English mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890-1976) adding literary cachet to this ancient name. Aggie is a common nickname.

All About the Baby Name – Agatha

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME AGATHA

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

OF THE GIRL NAME AGATHA

We know Agatha is a name that has been used among English speakers since at least the 11th century, most likely introduced to England by way of the Norman French. We also know that Agatha dates way back to the beginning of (white man’s) American history. However, our data only goes back to 1880 – a year when Agatha was the 421st most popular baby girl’s name in the United States. The name turned into the 20th century as a quasi-moderate favorite, but pretty much began an immediate decline as the decades progressed. In fact, 1945 marks the last year Agatha made an appearance on America’s Top 1000 list which means today the name is given to probably less than 50 baby girls per year (out of about two million). This means we have an original choice on our hands people! This is a name with a lot going for it. Old-fashioned charm? Check. Strong and feisty rather than weak and girly? Check. Literary cachet? Check. Christian significance? Check. Saintly? Check. Yes, we know it’s a name often associated with an ugly old hag, but this is merely part of her attraction in our book. And one cannot deny the name’s etymology: “good”. Sounds pretty “good” to us!

Quick Facts

ON AGATHA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

AG-ə-thə

SIMPLE MEANING:

Good

Characteristics

OF AGATHA

Cooperative

Considerate

Compassionate

Nurturing

Sensitive

Patient

Loving

Kind

Gracious

Balanced

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Agatha

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME AGATHA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Agatha

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME AGATHA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Agatha


Popular Songs

ON AGATHA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Agatha


Famous People

NAMED AGATHA

Agatha Christie (mystery writer)
Agatha of Sicily (3rd century saint)

Children of Famous People

NAMED AGATHA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Agatha

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME AGATHA

Dame Agatha Miller Christie was the extraordinarily prolific British mystery writer who created two of the most beloved detectives of the genre: Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. Prolific hardly begins to describe it – Agatha Christie’s works rank third in sales after the Bible and William Shakespeare! Not content with all of that, Agatha Christie also produced several romance novels under the name “Mary Wesmacott” and also wrote the world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap. She was born into the wealthy upper middle class, and portrayed that genre most successfully in her fiction. Colonels, country squires, dames, ladies and earls pepper her prose, and she is distinctly British. One never forgets that Poirot, however clever, is a foreigner! Agatha Christie has provided cozy comfort for millions down through the years, not the least of which derives from some of her own personal history. While married to the very handsome airman, Archibald Christie (with whom she had her only child, a daughter, Rosalind), Agatha disappeared for a ten day period when their marital troubles (that is to say, Archie’s mistress) became apparent. Her disappearance was top news, and thousands participated in the search before she was discovered at a hotel in Yorkshire. She never publicly explained the affair – well, she was a woman of mystery, after all! In later years, Agatha had a long and happy marriage to Sir. Max Mallowan, an archeologist, whom she accompanied on many Middle Eastern digs. She wrote continuously, right up until her death, and her work is as appreciated today as it was in her lifetime.