BabyNameLens · Girl names · Boy names
“Variant of Vanessa — Jonathan Swift's pet name for Esther Vanhomrigh: 'Van' of her surname plus 'Essa,' from Esther, possibly 'star'” — English literary coinage origin
Girl's name · #2744 in the US (2025) · Trending
Nessa is moving up the charts. First recorded in 1935, it stood at #2744 in 2025; about 1,400 girls have been named Nessa along the way.
Around the world: about 1 in 1,200 girls in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 2,400 girls in N. Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 9,200 girls in Canada (2024).
Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 3 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.
Among 22 notable people named Nessa:
Entertainers appear 2.93× more often than among typical names — e.g. Nessa Barrett, American singer.
Similar names: Vanessa · Adalyne · Neve · Jessa · Evianna · Maleia
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