Vanessa
A female given name originating as a coinage.
Every Vanessa since 1900 — 262,606 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Vanessa
Vanessa is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #377 in 2025 with 813 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1900, 262,606 American babies have been named Vanessa. Its peak came in 1985, when 7,605 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Vanessa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Vanessa year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 813 | #377 | — | — |
| 2024 | 938 | #335 | — | — |
| 2023 | 1,014 | #304 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,026 | #311 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,226 | #253 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,384 | #209 | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,224 | #272 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,378 | #231 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,521 | #203 | — | — |
| 2016 | 1,664 | #197 | — | — |
| 2015 | 1,729 | #187 | — | — |
| 2014 | 1,927 | #171 | 5 | #13,944 |
| 2013 | 2,095 | #152 | 7 | #10,658 |
| 2012 | 2,554 | #123 | — | — |
| 2011 | 2,620 | #120 | 6 | #12,193 |
| 2010 | 2,888 | #107 | 6 | #12,122 |
| 2009 | 3,523 | #91 | — | — |
| 2008 | 4,032 | #78 | 6 | #12,460 |
| 2007 | 4,447 | #71 | 8 | #9,735 |
| 2006 | 4,169 | #79 | 6 | #11,974 |
| 2005 | 4,095 | #80 | 8 | #9,051 |
| 2004 | 4,350 | #75 | 9 | #8,115 |
| 2003 | 4,352 | #70 | 6 | #10,821 |
| 2002 | 4,455 | #68 | 5 | #12,396 |
| 2001 | 4,672 | #64 | 8 | #8,295 |
| 2000 | 5,134 | #62 | 12 | #5,894 |
| 1995 | 5,404 | #63 | 16 | #4,042 |
| 1990 | 6,409 | #56 | 32 | #2,253 |
| 1985 | 7,563 | #42 | 42 | #1,566 |
| 1980 | 4,426 | #69 | 21 | #2,440 |
| 1975 | 2,440 | #115 | 14 | #2,893 |
| 1970 | 2,576 | #138 | 5 | #5,401 |
| 1965 | 1,632 | #203 | 6 | #3,906 |
| 1960 | 2,711 | #155 | 8 | #3,323 |
| 1955 | 2,698 | #140 | 7 | #3,487 |
| 1950 | 91 | #943 | — | — |
| 1945 | 19 | #1,988 | — | — |
| 1940 | 14 | #2,291 | — | — |
| 1935 | 32 | #1,304 | — | — |
| 1930 | 10 | #3,040 | — | — |
| 1925 | 9 | #3,640 | — | — |
| 1920 | 6 | #4,929 | — | — |
| 1915 | 10 | #2,884 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,919 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Vanessa
- Vanessa Redgrave Actor · b. 1937
- Vanessa Paradis Companion · b. 1972
- Vanessa Williams Actor · b. 1963
- Vanessa Hudgens Actor · b. 1988
- Vanessa Marcil Actor · b. 1968
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Vanessa mean?
A female given name originating as a coinage.
How popular is the name Vanessa in 2025?
Vanessa ranked #377 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 813 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Vanessa?
262,606 babies have been named Vanessa in the United States since 1900, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Vanessa most popular?
Vanessa peaked in 1985, when 7,605 newborns received the name.
Is Vanessa a boy or girl name?
Vanessa is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Vanessa rising or falling?
Vanessa is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Vanessa?
Well-known people named Vanessa include Vanessa Redgrave (actor), Vanessa Paradis (companion), Vanessa Williams (actor).