Annice

Annice is an English variant of the medieval given name Agnes, which derives from the Greek name Hagnē, rooted in the adjective hagnos meaning pure or chaste. The name was widely adopted across medieval Europe largely through the veneration of Saint Agnes of Rome, a fourth-century martyr who became one of the most celebrated virgin saints in Christian tradition. The variant spelling Annice arose from phonetic shifts in medieval English pronunciation that also produced forms such as Annis and Annys. Related cognates and variants include Agnes, Annis, Ines, and Inez.