Baby Name Popularity Profile

Vanessa

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Vanessa.

✦ Butterfly 🌍 English traditional nature
National Rank (2025) #377
All-Time Peak Rank #41 Achieved 1988
Total U.S. Births 261,622 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 0.1% Boy / 99.9% Girl Overwhelmingly Female
First Recorded 1900 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1980s 7,563 births in 1985
💡 The Vanessa Vibe: Considered a Declining Classic. A previously dominant name currently experiencing a prolonged generational cooling period.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Butterfly
Language Origin English
Origin Type single
Coined by author Jonathan Swift in 1713 for his poem 'Cadenus and Vanessa', combining 'Van' from Esther Vanhomrigh's surname and 'Essa', a diminutive of her first name. The name was later used for a genus of butterfly.
Common Nicknames
Ness Nessa Vann Vannie
Pronunciation: va-NES-uh
Themes & Categories
traditional nature
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Vanessa

According to SSA data, Vanessa achieved its highest historical rank of #41 in 1988. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1985 with 7,563 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 53.0%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 91 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Vanessa across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -53.0% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 7,563 births in 1985
Years in Top 100 33 yrs
Years in Top 500 74 yrs
Registry Streak 91 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 0
1890s: 0
1900s: 6
1910s: 35
1920s: 51
1930s: 124
1940s: 295
1950s: 19,170
1960s: 20,983
1970s: 28,077
1980s: 65,731
1990s: 57,920
2000s: 43,229
2010s: 19,600
2020s: 6,401

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Va-ne-ssa
Letter Count 7 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 54.1% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 54.1% of SSA names. Starts with V, a letter used by only 1.5% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Vanessa.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State California
Top States California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
California #283 63,074 1989 51.7% Decline
Arizona #355 7,093 1988 23.1% Decline
Nevada #232 1,831 2000 57.1% Decline
New Mexico Unranked 2,828 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #344 31,433 1983 42.9% Decline
Florida #262 13,196 1987 17.0% Decline
Alaska Unranked 448 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #455 3,620 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii #211 921 1987 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #402 7,646 1987 47.4% Decline
Illinois #289 13,410 1985 34.5% Decline
District of Columbia Unranked 1,175 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #312 4,207 1997 51.0% Decline
Oregon #351 2,321 2000 Insufficient historical volume
New York #366 19,200 1984 28.8% Decline
Connecticut #455 2,497 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 804 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #488 1,792 1999 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #307 800 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #539 4,561 1955 44.4% Decline
Maryland #599 2,997 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #430 5,332 1959 25.0% Decline
Louisiana #771 3,401 1959 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #330 5,344 1959 24.4% Decline
Massachusetts #758 4,514 1988 72.0% Decline
Kansas #442 1,740 1987 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #709 3,006 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma Unranked 2,218 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 332 1961 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #612 2,338 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #574 3,695 1988 70.7% Decline
New Hampshire Unranked 490 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #601 3,298 1959 50.0% Decline
Michigan #315 5,688 1954 19.4% Decline
Mississippi #512 1,852 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 1,557 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 193 1978 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #294 2,810 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota #395 2,557 1987 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #649 2,355 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #556 7,226 1986 59.2% Decline
Maine Unranked 593 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #561 6,129 1958 51.3% Decline
Nebraska Unranked 959 1998 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #479 2,859 1955 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 1,158 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 339 1987 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa #299 1,378 1987 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 345 1986 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 330 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 88 1985 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Mario Bradley Travis Derek Bryan Orlando Rodolfo Cassidy Laramie Georgio
👧 Sister Suggestions
Rebecca Mallory Joanna Alicia Meredith Alison Nicole Lauren Holly Nina

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Demographic & Volume Peers
Venessa Veronica Vienna Vannessa Viviana Rebecca Valeska Vernita Virgina Valinda
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