Vanessa is a girl's name of Spanish origin. Its meaning is not recorded in the standard references we check — we would rather tell you that plainly than guess. In 2024 it was given to 933 girls in the United States.
Vanessa at a glance
Gender
Girl name
Origin
Spanish · Portuguese · German · Italian
Meaning
Not recorded in standard references
Pronunciation
/vəˈnɛsə/
Also spelled
Esther
About the name Vanessa
Vanessa belongs to the Spanish and Portuguese tradition. Its roots are documented, even though its precise meaning is not recorded in the standard references — an honest gap we prefer to a confident guess. It travels in a few spellings: Esther.
In the United States, Vanessa first appears in Social Security records in 1900. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #41 in 1988, and in 2024 933 babies received the name — 260,793 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.
The meaning of Vanessa is not recorded in the standard references we check. Rather than repeat an unsourced claim, we leave it open — its Spanish origin is documented, but its exact meaning is not.
Is Vanessa a boy or girl name?
Vanessa is a girl name. In 2024, 933 babies received the name in the US.
What origin is the name Vanessa?
Vanessa comes from the Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian tradition. It is also spelled Esther.
How popular is the name Vanessa?
Vanessa first appears in US records in 1900. Its best-ever ranking was #41 in 1988, and 933 babies were given the name in 2024.
How do you pronounce Vanessa?
Vanessa is pronounced /vəˈnɛsə/ (IPA).
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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.
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