Vanessa
Vanessa is a girl's name of English origin.
Meaning
Invented name derived from Esther Vanhomrigh's surname.
Origin and history
Vanessa is a literary name invented by the author Jonathan Swift in the early 18th century for his poem Cadenus and Vanessa. It was created by combining the first syllable of his close friend Esther Vanhomrigh's surname with 'Essa', a common diminutive for Esther. The name was later adopted as a genus name for a group of butterflies, and it grew in popularity in the mid-to-late 20th century in the United States.
Popularity in the United States
261,622 babies in the United States have been named Vanessa since 1880. It ranks #157 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #298.
States where it is most popular
- CA (24.3 %)
- TX (12.1 %)
- NY (7.4 %)
- IL (5.2 %)
- FL (5.1 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 6 |
| 1910-1920 | 35 |
| 1920-1930 | 51 |
| 1930-1940 | 124 |
| 1940-1950 | 295 |
| 1950-1960 | 19,170 |
| 1960-1970 | 20,983 |
| 1970-1980 | 28,077 |
| 1980-1990 | 65,731 |
| 1990-2000 | 57,920 |
| 2000-2010 | 43,229 |
| 2010-2019 | 19,600 |
| 2020-2029 | 6,401 |
Famous people named Vanessa
- Vanessa Hudgens: actress, singer
- Vanessa Williams: actress, singer
- Vanessa Redgrave: actress
Nicknames
Nessa, Van, Vee, Ness
Fun facts
- Jonathan Swift invented the name in 1713 for his companion Esther Vanhomrigh, combining 'Van' from her surname with 'Essa' from her nickname.
- In 1807, Danish entomologist Johan Christian Fabricius adopted Vanessa as the genus name for a group of colorful brush-footed butterflies.