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Vanessa

“Coined name, possibly meaning from the star” — English literary coinage origin

Girl's name · #377 in the US (2025) · 80s

Vanessa has appeared in US records since 1900 — best rank #41 (1988) · 261,622 babies named Vanessa all-time · 1 in 2,000 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 810 girls in Sweden (2025) · about 1 in 840 girls in Norway (2025) · about 1 in 920 girls in Austria (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 40 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Vanessas

• Vanessa Hudgens — American actress and singer (born 1988)
• Vanessa Paradis — French singer, model and actress
• Vanessa Redgrave — British actress and activist (born 1937)
• Vanessa Kirby — British actress (born 1987)
• Vanessa Williams — American actress, singer and former Miss America (born 1963)

In stories & tradition

• Vanessa Fisk — The Amazing Spider-Man
• Vanessa Abrams — Gossip Girl
• Vanessa Ives — Penny Dreadful

What Vanessas become

Among 1,827 notable people named Vanessa:

Medical professionals appear 1.67× more often than among typical names — e.g. Vanessa Kerry, American doctor.

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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