as a First Name
Name invented by Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) for his friend Esther Vanhomrigh. It seems to have been derived from the first syllable of her (Dutch) surname, with the addition of the suffix -essa (perhaps influenced by the first syllable of her given name). The name became fairly popular in the 20th century, being borne for example by the actress Vanessa Redgrave (b. 1937).
| 297th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Hundreds of thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 206,534
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- 237,497
- if you include dead people (since the government started keeping track)
- New Mexico
- has the most people named Vanessa per capita
- 1985
- marked the height of its popularity
99.84%
0.16%
5%
55+
55+
29%
30-54
30-54
34%
13-29
13-29
32%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
