Vanessa Name Meaning, Origin, History, and Popularity

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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Vanessa

The name Venessa is a combination of Greek and Latin origins. In Greek, the majority believes that Venessa is an elaboration of the mystic Goddess Phanessa, who is fond of butterflies. Thus, the name may also mean ‘butterflies.’ On the contrary, in Latin, it is a variation of Venus, the Goddess of love. Therefore, these mythological and spiritual attributes make the name more fascinating.

Anglo-Irish author Jonathan Swift introduced this name for the very first time while addressing his deep affection towards his lover Esther Vanhomrigh. By taking the prefix of Vanhomrigh and that of Esther in 1726, he created the name ‘Venessa.’ He used it in his autobiographical poem ‘Cadenus and Vanessa,’ which was published three years after Esther’s death. In addition, in 1807, Vanessa was named and signified as a genus of brush-footed butterflies by the Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius.

Venessa has a variable use considering its alternatives, such as Vannie, Nessa, Venissa, and Vannia. You can also add more charm to your baby’s persona with its nicknames – Ness and Vee.

In the US, Vanessa made it to the top 1000 girl names for the first time in 1950, and since 1953, it has continued to be in the 200 girl names. This certainly signifies how amazingly the name has acquired the love of the people over the years.

The name has also influenced the choices of fictional characters. A few examples are Vanessa, the character from Disney’s The Little Mermaid; Vanessa Abrams, one of the central characters of the TV series Gossip Girl; Vanessa Gold, a portrayal from the British TV show EastEnders; Vanessa Huxtable, a significant character from the sitcom The Cosby Show; and Vanessa Van Helsing, the main character of the series Van Helsing. There are many other references as such that showcase the impact of the name Venassa on the audience.

Vanessa

Meaning Butterfly; Goddess of love

Gender Girl

Religion Christianity, Greek

Origin Canadian

Lucky Number 9

Syllables Three

Length 1 word, 7 letters, 3 vowels, 4 consonants

Type Medium length and moderately easy to pronounce

How To Pronounce Vanessa?

Pronounced as va-nes-sa

The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.

Listen to the sound of the name Vanessa in English.

Famous People With The Name Vanessa

Vanessa Theme AmentAmerican author and Foley artist, best known for her book The Foley Grail, published in 2009
Vanessa Madeline AngelBritish actress and model, best known for her role in Weird Science and Kingpin
Vanessa Bell ArmstrongAmerican gospel singer, seven times Grammy Award Nominee, and winner of the Stellar Award and Soul Train Award
Vanessa Bell Calloway American actress, best known for the movies Coming to America and The Inkwell
Vanessa da Mata Brazilian singer, Latin Grammy Award Winner, and known for songs such as Boa Sorte/Good Luck and Amado

Vanessa On The Popularity Chart

Vanessa has been a special name treasured by all Americans for ages. However, its demand has declined in recent years. Take a look at the chart below to see how it has fared over the years.

Popularity Over Time

The name was at the peak of its popularity in 1985, with 7566 babies per million sharing the name. However, the number decreased to 1218 babies in 2021.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

The name managed to be in the top 100 baby names in the US until the last decade, with the highest rank of 41st in 1988. However, its ranking started to fall in the early 2010s.

Source: Social Security Administration

Names With Similar Sound To Vanessa

Vanessa is a charming name with plenty of other variations with similar chimes. Take a tour of the below list to get references for such names.

Popular Sibling Names For Vanessa

If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with Vanessa, check our suggestions here.

Boy Sibling Names For Vanessa

Find matching brother names for Vanessa and create a wonderful team of siblings.

Girl Sibling Names For Vanessa

Looking for some suitable sister names for Vanessa? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.

Other Popular Names Beginning With V

Looking for more baby names starting with the letter V to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.

Name With Similar Meaning As Vanessa

If you want to explore more names with beautiful meanings like Vanessa, here are the options that you may want to consider.

Popular Songs On The Name Vanessa

Song	Artist
Vanessa from Venezuela	3582
Vanessa	Grimes
Vanessa	Kweku Smoke
Vanessa - Remix	Pson

Vanessa’s Zodiac Sign And Birth Star As Per Vedic Astrology

Vedic astrology, also called Jyotisha, provides deep insights into a person’s life based on celestial positions at birth. Rashi and nakshatra, which are an integral part of Jyotisha, are believed to influence an individual’s personality and life events. The following sections give you rashi-related information, such as the associated letters, elements, ruling body, quality, and nakshatra for the name Vanessa. These details help analyze a person’s characteristics, personality, and behavior.

Zodiac Sign (Rashi)

As shown in the following table, each rashi is associated with specific sounds, which are often used as the starting letters of names for newborns in Hindu families. Each rashi is represented by a figure and one of the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space). One ruling celestial body, known as its 'rashi lord' or 'ruler' is assigned to these rashis. These bodies include Venus, Mars, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, the rashis are assigned various qualities or gunas.

Rashi (zodiac sign)	Vrishabha (Taurus)
Starting letters for Vrishabha (Taurus) rashi	B, V, U, W
Representation	Bull
Element	Earth
Ruling body	Venus
Quality	Fixed (sthira)

Birth Star (Nakshatra)

Another important aspect of Vedic Astrology is the nakshatras, the lunar constellations or star clusters that the Moon occupies during a person's birth. There are 27 nakshatras, each with its own unique qualities, attributes, and symbolism. Each rashi contains two-and-one-fourth nakshatras in it. For example, Aries contains Ashwini, Bharani, and Krithika nakshatras.

The below table provides information on the nakshatras’ degrees on the zodiac circle, their lords and related syllables, for babies born in the Vrishabha (Taurus) rashi. These syllables/phonetics are popularly used to choose the baby name. For precise nakshatra calculation based on your baby's birthplace and date, use our Nakshatra Calculator.

Nakshatra	Degrees Of The Nakshatra	Nakshatra Lord (Ruler)	Name Syllables
Krittika (Karthikai, Krithika)	Taurus (0 to 10 degrees)	Sun	Aa, Ae, E, Ee, Ai, A, I, Oo, U
Rohini	Taurus (10 to 23.20 degrees)	Moon	O, Va, Vaa, Vi, Vee, Wa, Wu
Mrigashira (Makayiram, Mrigasira)	Taurus (23.20 to 30 degrees)	Mars	Ve, Vo, Ka, Kaa, Ki, Kee, We, Wo

Infographic: Know The Name Vanessa‘s Personality As Per Numerology

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Vanessa In Different Languages

It’s exciting to see our baby’s name spelled and written in various languages. See how people spell Vanessa in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and more! Each language has its own way of saying Vanessa, but it’s still the same special name. Learn how the name looks and sounds in different languages around the world!

Name	Language	Code
Vanessa	English	en
凡妮莎	Chinese	zh-CN
वैनेसा	Hindi	hi
Vanessa	Spanish	es
Vanessa	French	fr
فانيسا	Arabic	ar
ভেনেসা	Bengali	bn
Vanessa	Portuguese	pt
Ванесса	Russian	ru
وینیسا	Urdu	ur
Vanessa	Indonesian	id
Vanessa	German	de
ヴァネッサ	Japanese	ja
वैनेसा	Marathi	mr
వెనెస్సా	Telugu	te
Vanessa	Turkish	tr
வனேசா	Tamil	ta
Vanessa	Vietnamese	vi
Vanessa	Tagalog	tl
바네사	Korean	ko
Vanessa	Hausa	ha
Vanessa	Swahili	sw
Vanessa	Javanese	jv
Vanessa	Italian	it
ਵੈਨੇਸਾ	Punjabi	pa
વેનેસા	Gujarati	gu
วาเนสซ่า	Thai	th
ವನೆಸ್ಸಾ	Kannada	kn
ቫኔሳ	Amharic	am
वैनेसा	Bhojpuri	bho
Vanessa	Yoruba	yo

How To Communicate The Name Vanessa In Sign Languages

In Nautical Flags

vanessa

In Sign Language

vanessa

In Braille Alphabet

vanessa

In Morse Code

vanessa

Name Numerology For Vanessa

Numerology is an occult system that gives significance to numbers and their influence on human life and destiny. Numerologists attribute specific qualities, energies, and characteristics to a number. Parents who believe in numerology prefer to choose baby names that resonate positively with the child’s unique numerical vibrations, often derived from their date of birth. Here we give a general birth number and personality traits of the name Vanessa, based on the Pythagorean (Western) system. This analysis will differ from child to child based on their date of birth. You may use our numerology calculator for more personalized information.

Baby Name Lists Containing Vanessa

Read through our baby name lists that include the name Vanessa and several other similar names. The wider the choice, the better your selection. Isn't it?

Movie Titles Inspired By The Name Vanessa

Discover the presence of Vanessa in an array of films. Know about the various movies that have this name.

Movie title	Other titles	Release year
I Am Vanessa Guillen	Ben Vanessa Guillen, Én vagyok Vanessa Guillen, Eu Sou Vanessa Guillen, I Am Vanessa Guillen: Scandale dans les rangs, I Am Vanessa GuillenI Am Vanessa Guillen, Ich bin Vanessa Guillen, Jestem Vanessa Guillén, Rettferdighet for Vanessa, Yo soy Vanessa Guillén, Я - Ванесса Гильен, 我是吉倫：驚爆美軍謀殺案, 私はヴァネッサ・ギーエン	2022
Play Me Again Vanessa	En gång till Vanessa, I giochi erotici di Vanessa, Los juegos eróticos de Vanessa, Vanessa	1989
Deep Inside Vanessa del Rio	Lo mejor de Vanessa del Río, Vanessa captive du Vice	1986
Viva Vanessa	Viva Vanessa Toda Nua, Viva Vanessa, reina del porno	1984
Vanessa	Förförd i Hong-Kong, Night Trash, Vanesa, Vanessa - Die Bordellchefin von Hong Kong, Vanessa - Die Bordellkönigin von Hong Kong, Vanessa - forført i Hong Kong, Vanessa No Time to Wait, Ванесса	1977
Vanessa, Her Love Story	Hänen lemmentarinansa, Son roman d'amour, Vanessa, Vanessa - Seu Drama de Amor, Vanessa, Her Love Story, Vanessa, son histoire d'amour	1935

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the meaning of the name Vanessa?

The name Vanessa means ‘butterflies.’

2. What is the origin of the name Vanessa?

Vanessa has Greek and Latin origins.

3. How to pronounce the name Vanessa?

Vanessa is pronounced as va-nes-sa.

4. What are the nicknames for Vanessa?

Some common nicknames for Vanessa include Vee, Van, Ness, Nessa, Nessie, Vanny, Essa, and Vesa. Since nicknames are informal names that are used for someone to show love, they can be in any form. Ensure that it is not offensive or too funny but a dear term.

5. Is Vanessa a traditional or modern name?

Despite achieving mainstream popularity from the mid-20th century onwards, Vanessa is a traditional name invented by Jonathan Swift. The name was created by rearranging the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, a close friend of Swift, for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa (1).

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Critical Companion to Jonathan Swift by DeGategno Paul J.; R. Jay Stubblefield (2006) . p. 42.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=so6ZNdlRfLIC&pg=PA42&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

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