Venessa
Venessa is a girl's name of Greek origin.
Meaning
Literary invention; associated with butterflies or Phanes (a Greek deity).
Origin and history
Venessa is a spelling variant of Vanessa, a name originally created by the Anglo-Irish author Jonathan Swift in the early 18th century. Swift formed the name by combining elements of his friend Esther Vanhomrigh's name, which was later adopted as a genus name for butterflies. In the United States, it enjoyed modest usage during the late 20th century.
Popularity in the United States
5,767 babies in the United States have been named Venessa since 1880. It ranks #2251 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #2068.
States where it is most popular
- CA (26.7 %)
- TX (24.1 %)
- NY (12.1 %)
- IL (5.7 %)
- FL (4 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 5 |
| 1930-1940 | 5 |
| 1940-1950 | 17 |
| 1950-1960 | 441 |
| 1960-1970 | 751 |
| 1970-1980 | 1,226 |
| 1980-1990 | 1,978 |
| 1990-2000 | 785 |
| 2000-2010 | 390 |
| 2010-2019 | 136 |
| 2020-2029 | 33 |
Nicknames
Nessa, Ness, Vee
Fun facts
- The base name Vanessa was invented by author Jonathan Swift in 1713 for his poem Cadenus and Vanessa.
- Venessa emerged as a phonetically motivated alternative spelling during the peak popularity of Vanessa.