Inez

Inez is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Agnes, ultimately derived from the ancient Greek name Hagnē, from the root hagnos, meaning pure or holy. The name was borne most famously by Inês de Castro, a fourteenth-century Galician-Portuguese noblewoman whose tragic love affair with the Portuguese crown prince became one of the most celebrated stories in Iberian history and literature. The spelling Inez gained particular popularity in English-speaking countries during the nineteenth century as an exotic romantic variant. Related forms include Inés, Agnes, Agnès, and Agnese.