Given name & surname · also Hebrew
Nessa
“one who is pure; chaste”·“resembling a butterfly”
Nessa is a form of Agnes. One Greek interpretation is “one who is pure; chaste.” In English use, Nessa is a nickname for Vanessa. One Greek interpretation is “resembling a butterfly.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Nessa is a form of Agnes. One Greek interpretation is “one who is pure; chaste.” In English use, Nessa is a nickname for Vanessa. One Greek interpretation is “resembling a butterfly.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
Nessa is a short form of Agnessa.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1935. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nessa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,368
- 0 boys · 1,368 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 83 babies
- 2025
- 63
- #2,744 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 63 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,744 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 83 in 2016. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,272 as a first name in 2020; 926 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Nessa’s family of names
Nessa is a short form of Vanessa. Nessa is a form of Agnes. In English usage, Nessa is a nickname for Vanessa.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 22
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Nessa
- Nessa ChildersIrish politicianborn 1956
- Nessa CareyBritish molecular biologist
- Nessa CohenAmerican sculptor (1884-1976)1855–1915
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nessa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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