Vanessa

Meaning: Not established
Origin: Fictional coinage — Coined by Jonathan Swift from the name of his friend Esther Vanhomrigh

Nicknames: Nessa

Girl's name · #377 in the US (2025) · 80s wave

Popularity over time

Vanessa reached #41 in 1988 and has faded to #377 since.

In just three years its births jumped from about 180 in 1951 to 2,600 in 1954. The rise coincided with the early years of Love of Life, whose central heroine was Vanessa Dale.

Across the states

See where Vanessa is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 40 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Vanessa ranks in other countries and regions.

#58 in Mexico (2024) · #153 in Poland (2025) · #154 in Sweden (2025) · #157 in Austria (2025) · #187 in Norway (2025) · #196 in Italy (2024) · #413 in Ireland (2025) · #478 in Switzerland (2025) · #523 in Canada (2025) · #539 in Scotland (2025) · #688 in Netherlands (2025) · #719 in England & Wales (2025) and 12 more.

Famous Vanessas

Vanessa Hudgens — American actress and singer (born 1988)
Vanessa Paradis — French singer, model and actress (born 1972)
Vanessa Redgrave — British actress and activist (born 1937)
Vanessa Kirby — British actress (born 1987)
Vanessa Williams — American singer, actress and 1984 Miss America (born 1963)
Vanessa Carlton — American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1980)
Vanessa Marcil — American actress (born 1968)
Vanessa Lachey — Filipino actress (born 1980)
Vanessa Morgan — Canadian actress (born 1992)
Vanessa Ferlito — American actress (born 1980)

In stories & tradition

Vanessa Fisk — Marvel Comics character
Vanessa Abrams — Gossip Girl (novel series)
Vanessa Ives — Fictional character from Penny Dreadful

What Vanessas become

Among 1,827 notable people named Vanessa:

Medical professionals appear 1.67× more often than among typical names — e.g. Vanessa Kerry, American physician and public health expert (born 1976).

Twin names

A popular twin pairing with Vanessa is Valeria for a girl.

Spellings & nicknames

About 57 girls a year are given Nessa as their full name.

Similar names: Nessa · Kendra · Valerie · Janessa · Paige · Alyssa

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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