The name Agnes is a female given name based on the Greek name "hagne". The name was made popular by Saint Agnes of Rome, who was a well known saint. "Agnes" was the third most popular girl's name for almost 400 years in English-speaking areas. The name was used a lot until near the 1970s in the United States. It was especially popular between 1900 and 1920, during which time the name spent a few years on the top 50 list for feminine names. The name was used on a costly hurricane that caused over $3 billion in damage and many deaths in 1972. The name "Agnes" was later retired.