Agatha

Agatha comes from a Greek word meaning good. The name spread through the veneration of Saint Agatha, an early Christian martyr associated with Sicily, and became familiar across European Christian naming traditions. Its meaning is simple, while its long history gives it connections reaching well beyond a single era.

Mystery writer Agatha Christie is an especially strong modern association, linking the name with detective fiction and enduring literary characters. P. G. Wodehouse also used it for Bertie Wooster’s formidable Aunt Agatha. Aggie provides a familiar short form, and Agathe is a related French and German spelling. The full name brings together an old Greek meaning, a saint’s history, and a particularly recognizable place in English literature.