How Many People Are Named Vanessa?
261,777
people in the United States are named Vanessa
1 in 1,279 people has this name
Popularity Rank
#305
⭐ Uncommon
Population Percentage
0.0781%
Of US population
Peak Year
1985
7,606 births
Trend
→
Stable
📖 Name Origin & Meaning
Origin:
English, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch
Pronunciation:
və-NES-ə (English), va-NE-sa (German)
Gender:
Primarily Female
Meaning:
Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his poem 'Cadenus and Vanessa' (1726). He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular.
⚧ Gender Distribution
This name is Primarily Female
👥 Age Distribution
Average Age: 35.8 years old
📈 Popularity Over Time
Births per year from 1900 to 2024
📍 State-Wise Distribution
California
63,214
Texas
31,424
New York
19,184
Illinois
13,373
Florida
13,123
New Jersey
7,626
Pennsylvania
7,206
Arizona
7,081
Ohio
6,109
Michigan
5,659
💡 Fun Facts About "Vanessa"
- 933 babies were named Vanessa in 2024
- Most popular in the year 1985
- Currently stable in popularity
- First recorded in 1900
- Most popular in California
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