Vanessa
Coined by Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh, splicing her surname to the pet form of Esther.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Vanessa first shows up in the national records in 1900. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1977 to 2009. Its biggest year was 1985, when 7,563 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 42 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1988, at No. 41. In 2025 it ranked No. 377 for girls. All told, 262,606 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Vanesa (6,544), Vannessa (3,231), Vannesa (1,220) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Esther
Explore Vanessa interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 6 | No. 1723 |
| 1910s | 35 | No. 2688 |
| 1920s | 51 | No. 3350 |
| 1930s | 124 | No. 1264 |
| 1940s | 295 | No. 1057 |
| 1950s | 19,170 | No. 139 |
| 1960s | 20,983 | No. 147 |
| 1970s | 28,077 | No. 75 |
| 1980s | 65,731 | No. 41 |
| 1990s | 57,920 | No. 52 |
| 2000s | 43,229 | No. 62 |
| 2010s | 19,600 | No. 107 |
| 2020s | 6,401 | No. 209 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.