Vanesa
Vanesa was the 4872nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 28 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 842nd; the most babies were born in 2002 (271). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,746 places. More babies were named Vanesa in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Vanessa) invented by Jonathan Swift · English
- Rank in 2025
- #4,872 girls, up 785 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 28girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2002271 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,544babies recorded
What does the name Vanesa mean?
Vanesa is a spelling of Vanessa, pronounced the same way, so it shares Vanessa's meaning and origin.
Vanessa was invented by Jonathan Swift as a private name for his friend Esther (Hester) Vanhomrigh, and used in his poem Cadenus and Vanessa. He made it from the first syllable of her surname plus Essa, a pet form of Esther. Wiktionary gives this account, and the 1910 Bell edition of Swift's poems lists Vanessa among the fancy names he gave women friends. The name was later used for a genus of butterflies and became common as a first name in the 20th century.
Van(homrigh) (Dutch surname, “first syllable of Vanhomrigh”)Essa (English, “pet form of Esther”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Vanessa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- The Poems of Jonathan Swift, vol. 1, ed. W. E. Browning (1910) (Project Gutenberg eBook #14353), Project Gutenberg
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Vanesa popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 1985.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,872 | 28 |
| 2020 | #5,657 | 22 |
| 2010 | #1,760 | 118 |
| 2000 | #1,059 | 197 |
| 1990 | #1,145 | 151 |
| 1980 | #1,934 | 56 |
| 1970 | #3,864 | 16 |
| 1960 | #3,677 | 13 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Vanesa, counting every spelling?
Vanesa is a spelling of Vanessa, a name family that ranked #395 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,872 for Vanesa on its own. Together these spellings went to 841 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanessa | 813 | #377 | 5,017 |
| Vanesa | 28 | #4,872 | 125 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Vanesa?
28 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Vanesa (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Vanesa born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 298 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Vanesa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Vanesa?
About 6,400 people born in the US named Vanesa are alive today, with a median age of 27; half are between 20 and 35. That makes Vanesa mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Vanesa by state
How common Vanesa was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Vanesa: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Vanesa, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Vanesa
What does Vanesa mean?
Vanesa is a spelling of Vanessa, which means “invented by Jonathan Swift” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Vanesa?
Vanesa was the 4872nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 28 babies. Its best year was 1996, when it ranked 842nd; the most babies were born in 2002 (271). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,746 places. More babies were named Vanesa in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Vanesa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Vanesa in the US.
Where is Vanesa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Vanesa was most common in California (0.02 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Texas.