Nance

Nance is an English given name that originated as a medieval pet form of Anne, itself derived from the Hebrew Channah, meaning grace or favor. The initial N likely arose through a process called misdivision, where the phrase mine Anne was heard as mi Nanne, similar to how Nan and Nancy developed. Nance was used as an independent name in England from the medieval period onward, though it eventually became less common as Nancy rose to greater popularity. Ann, Anna, Hannah, Nan, and Nancy are all closely related forms sharing the same Hebrew root.