The first name Vanessa
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /vəˈnɛsə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Coined by Jonathan Swift in the 18th century as a pseudonym for a lady friend named Esther Vanhomrigh (or Van Homrigh), an Irish woman of Dutch descent, by taking the Dutch preposition van from her surname and adding -essa (perhaps influenced by the first syllable of Esther).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 51 girls were named Vanessa, making it the 719th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2010, with 228 births (#220).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Vanessa with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Vanessa at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 813 girls born in the United States were named Vanessa, the 377th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1985, when 7,563 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Vanessa in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Vanessa in Catalan, Danish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Vanessa
- Van
- Nessa
Famous people named Vanessa
84 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Vanessa HudgensAmerican actress and singer (born 1988)
- Vanessa ParadisFrench singer, model and actress, born 1972
- Vanessa RedgraveBritish actress and activist (born 1937)
- Vanessa WilliamsAmerican actress, singer and former Miss America (born 1963)
- Vanessa KirbyBritish actress (born 1987)
- Vanessa-MaeBritish violinist, born 1978
- Vanessa CarltonAmerican singer-songwriter, born 1980
- Vanessa MorganCanadian actress, singer and model, born 1992
- Vanessa FerlitoAmerican actress, born 1980
- Vanessa MaranoAmerican actress, born 1992
- Vanessa MarcilAmerican actress, born 1968
- Vanessa LacheyFilipino actress, born 1980
Questions
- What does the name Vanessa mean?
- Coined by Jonathan Swift in the 18th century as a pseudonym for a lady friend named Esther Vanhomrigh (or Van Homrigh), an Irish woman of Dutch descent, by taking the Dutch preposition van from her surname and adding -essa (perhaps influenced by the first syllable of Esther).
- How popular is the name Vanessa?
- In 2025, 51 girls born in England and Wales were named Vanessa, ranking 719th. Its peak was 2010, with 228 births.
- What are nicknames for Vanessa?
- Common nicknames for Vanessa include Van, Nessa.
- Is Vanessa a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 262,606 US babies named Vanessa since 1880 were girls.
- When was Vanessa most popular?
- 1985 in the United States, when 7,563 babies were named Vanessa, its highest rank at 42nd.
- How do you pronounce Vanessa?
- Vanessa is /vəˈnɛsə/, 3 syllables.