Vanessa
Vanessa is a boy's name of English origin.
Meaning
Literary creation; derived from Esther Vanhomrigh's surname and given name.
Origin and history
Vanessa is a name invented by the Anglo-Irish author Jonathan Swift in 1713 for his poem 'Cadenus and Vanessa', created by combining elements of his companion Esther Vanhomrigh's name. Although predominantly used for females in the United States, it has recorded rare historical usage for males in Social Security Administration birth records. It also later became the name of a genus of colorful butterflies.
Popularity in the United States
984 babies in the United States have been named Vanessa since 1880. It ranks #3698 all-time.
States where it is most popular
- CA (64.3 %)
- TX (23.2 %)
- NY (7.9 %)
- DC (2.7 %)
- AZ (2 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 0 |
| 1930-1940 | 0 |
| 1940-1950 | 0 |
| 1950-1960 | 48 |
| 1960-1970 | 63 |
| 1970-1980 | 111 |
| 1980-1990 | 456 |
| 1990-2000 | 214 |
| 2000-2010 | 68 |
| 2010-2019 | 24 |
| 2020-2029 | 0 |
Nicknames
Ness, Nessa, Vee, Vane
Fun facts
- Jonathan Swift created the name Vanessa as a anagrammatic combination of 'Van' from Vanhomrigh and 'Essa' from Esther.
- In 1807, Danish entomologist Johan Christian Fabricius adopted Vanessa as the genus name for red admiral and painted lady butterflies.