Vanessa Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Girl Names Like Vanessa

Vanessa Name Origin: English
Pronunciation: vah-ness-ah
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Vanessa Name Meaning

The name Vanessa is a girl’s name of Welsh origin, meaning “butterfly.”

Origins of the Name Vanessa

Vanessa is the creation of author Jonathan Swift, who came up with the name for a character in his 1726 poem “Cadenus and Vanessa.” In the poem, Vanessa is a young woman who is courted by the much older Cadenus. The poem was a hit and the name Vanessa quickly spread like wildfire.

Popularity of the Name Vanessa

The name Vanessa made its way across the pond to America, where it quickly gained popularity in the early 20th century. In fact, it was one of the top 100 names for girls in the United States from 1924 to 1944. It’s not hard to see why the name was so well-received: it’s elegant, romantic, and has a certain je ne sais quoi.

But the name Vanessa isn’t just popular in America – it’s a favorite all over the world. From Australia to France to South Africa, you’ll find Vanessas in all corners of the globe. And it’s not just humans who are fans of the name – there’s even a butterfly species called Vanessa atalanta (also known as the Red Admiral).

Famous Vanessas

There have been plenty of notable Vanessas throughout history, including:

Vanessa Redgrave: a British actress and political activist who has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards
Vanessa Williams: an American singer and actress who was the first African American woman to win the Miss America pageant (although she was later dethroned, but that’s another story)
Vanessa Hudgens: an American actress and singer who rose to fame starring in the High School Musical franchise
Vanessa Paradis: French singer and actress who is the former partner of Johnny Depp.

Final Thoughts on the Name Vanessa

In conclusion, the name Vanessa is a beautiful and elegant name with a rich history and global appeal. Whether you’re a butterfly enthusiast or just looking for a name with a certain je ne sais quoi, Vanessa is definitely worth considering. And who knows, you might just end up raising a future Vanessa Redgrave or Vanessa Williams.

Vanessa Name Popularity

How popular is the name Vanessa? Here’s everything we know.

Year	Rank	# Births	% Births
1910	—	0	0%
1911	—	0	0%
1912	—	0	0%
1913	—	0	0%
1914	—	0	0%
1915	—	0	0%
1916	—	0	0%
1917	—	0	0%
1918	—	0	0%
1919	—	0	0%
1920	—	0	0%
1921	—	0	0%
1922	—	0	0%
1923	—	0	0%
1924	—	0	0%
1925	—	0	0%
1926	—	0	0%
1927	—	0	0%
1928	—	0	0%
1929	—	0	0%
1930	—	0	0%
1931	—	0	0%
1932	—	0	0%
1933	—	0	0%
1934	—	0	0%
1935	1,590	5	0.0005%
1936	—	0	0%
1937	—	0	0%
1938	—	0	0%
1939	—	0	0%
1940	—	0	0%
1941	—	0	0%
1942	—	0	0%
1943	—	0	0%
1944	—	0	0%
1945	—	0	0%
1946	—	0	0%
1947	1,176	24	0.0014%
1948	1,053	32	0.002%
1949	1,306	16	0.001%
1950	1,007	41	0.0025%
1951	640	136	0.008%
1952	306	662	0.0379%
1953	164	1,980	0.1119%
1954	142	2,619	0.1433%
1955	140	2,676	0.1455%
1956	145	2,606	0.138%
1957	161	2,358	0.1225%
1958	149	2,719	0.1439%
1959	140	3,099	0.1631%
1960	154	2,698	0.1424%
1961	153	2,737	0.145%
1962	175	2,228	0.1214%
1963	188	2,007	0.1118%
1964	185	2,032	0.1154%
1965	203	1,613	0.0986%
1966	197	1,611	0.1032%
1967	170	1,852	0.122%
1968	180	1,784	0.1188%
1969	147	2,211	0.1435%
1970	138	2,567	0.1613%
1971	129	2,639	0.1756%
1972	134	2,257	0.1657%
1973	133	2,139	0.165%
1974	122	2,332	0.1794%
1975	115	2,424	0.1886%
1976	106	2,451	0.1902%
1977	90	3,200	0.2374%
1978	76	3,847	0.2861%
1979	75	4,097	0.2906%
1980	69	4,427	0.3028%
1981	62	4,747	0.3229%
1982	49	6,150	0.4116%
1983	49	6,383	0.4325%
1984	45	7,150	0.4806%
1985	42	7,566	0.4985%
1986	43	7,467	0.4947%
1987	43	7,344	0.4813%
1988	41	7,514	0.4822%
1989	50	6,955	0.431%
1990	56	6,401	0.3862%
1991	56	5,920	0.3632%
1992	55	6,072	0.3804%
1993	55	5,881	0.3772%
1994	59	5,539	0.3609%
1995	63	5,398	0.3582%
1996	60	5,735	0.383%
1997	54	5,788	0.3913%
1998	52	5,818	0.3887%
1999	57	5,276	0.3523%
2000	62	5,126	0.3356%
2001	64	4,666	0.3097%
2002	68	4,445	0.2966%
2003	70	4,346	0.2857%
2004	75	4,340	0.2847%
2005	79	4,085	0.2672%
2006	79	4,159	0.2656%
2007	71	4,435	0.2811%
2008	79	4,018	0.26%
2009	91	3,510	0.2348%
2010	107	2,868	0.199%
2011	122	2,595	0.1821%
2012	124	2,520	0.1768%
2013	148	2,085	0.1464%
2014	171	1,891	0.1298%
2015	187	1,686	0.1159%
2016	193	1,630	0.1131%
2017	200	1,475	0.1057%
2018	224	1,337	0.0973%
2019	264	1,188	0.0878%
2020	209	1,324	0.104%
2021	250	1,120	0.0916%

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Missouri (MO)

Mississippi (MS)

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Nebraska (NE)

New Hampshire (NH)

New Jersey (NJ)

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Nevada (NV)

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Vanessa

If you like Vanessa, you’ll love these other names like Vanessa.

What names are diminutives of Vanessa?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Vanessa sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Vanessa, but shorter.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Van	Of	Danish
Vanny	A diminutive form of Vanessa.

What names are variants of Vanessa?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Vanessa.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Jenessa
Nessa	Pure, holy; butterfly	Greek
Nessie	Pure	Scottish
Nessy	Pure, holy; butterfly	Greek
Van	Of	Danish
Vanassa	Butterfly	Greek
Vaneeta	Butterfly	Greek
Vanesa	Butterfly	Greek
Vanesha	Butterfly	Greek
Vaneshia	Butterfly	Greek
Vanesia	Butterfly	Greek
Vanesse	Butterfly	Greek

Vanessia	Butterfly	Greek
Vanetta	Butterfly; golden	Greek
Vaneza	Butterfly	Greek
Vania	Brings good news	Latin
Vaniece	Butterfly	Greek
Vaniessa	Butterfly	Greek
Vanija	Butterfly	Greek
Vanisa	Butterfly	Greek
Vanissa	Butterfly	Greek
Vanita	Woman	Indian (Sanskrit)
Vanna	Golden	Asian
Vannaleigh	Butterfly	Greek
Vannesa	Butterfly	Greek
Vannessa	Butterfly	Greek
Vannetta	Butterfly	Greek

Vanneza	Butterfly	Greek
Vannie	Butterfly	Greek
Vanya	God is gracious; butterfly; brings good news	Latin
Varnessa	Butterfly	Greek
Venesa	Butterfly	Greek
Venesha	Butterfly	Greek
Venessa	Butterfly	Greek
Venesse	Butterfly	Greek
Venessea	Butterfly	Greek
Venetta	Butterfly	Latin
Veniesa	Butterfly	Greek
Venisha	Butterfly	Greek
Venishia	Butterfly	Greek
Venna	Butterfly	Greek
Vennesa	Butterfly	Greek

Vennessa	Butterfly	Greek
Vennisa	Butterfly	Greek
Vinesha	Butterfly	Greek
Vinessa	Butterfly	Greek
Vinisha	Butterfly	Greek
Vonessa	Butterfly	Greek
Vonesse	Butterfly	Greek
Vonnessa	Butterfly	Greek

What names sound like Vanessa?

If you like how Vanessa sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Vanessa.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Vanecia		Latin
Venecia		Latin
Venezia		Latin
Venusa		Latin

What names are similar to Vanessa?

Find a name that’s like Vanessa, but just a little bit different.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Janessa		American
Nissa	To test	Hebrew

Lists With Vanessa

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Vanessa.

Share Your Thoughts

3 Comments

Christina Nov 2 at 2:11 pm

I hadn’t considered it until I saw it in a dream. It was engraved on a gold plaque in all caps. It means “butterfly.” At first, I thought that was superficial, but after thinking about it, I realized that the butterfly is a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ because of the way they go dormant for a time, go through transformation, and emerge a beautiful new creature. I hope she doesn’t get the nickname, “Nessie,” as associated with the Loch Ness Monster.

Reply
Vanessa Dec 3 at 3:16 pm

Wow, as popular as i thought my name to be. Nobody has any thoughts on it. For the record. I know so many Vanessa’s, it is kinda ridiculous. But I love my name. I think it is a beautiful name. My father named me. And my mom gave me my middle. And my Nina also gave me a middle name. My name is Vanessa Linda “after my moms middle name” and Savannah’s which I was given at my baptism. Vanessa Linda savannah Sisneros. Which is a huge name.

Reply
Crystal Jun 27 at 2:10 pm

I named my daughter after my late mother. Her middle name was Vanessa. It’s a beautiful strong name, traditional and more than anything. It is a piece of my mother earth side for the grand daughter she never met, well except in heaven.

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