Given name
Tanessa
“born on a Monday”
Tanessa is a variant of Tanesha. One African interpretation is “born on a Monday.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Tanessa is a variant of Tanesha. One African interpretation is “born on a Monday.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Tanessa is a variant of Tanesha. An origin associated with Tanesha is African.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1972. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tanessa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 382
- 0 boys · 382 girls
- Most popular year
- 1987
- 23 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 7 in 2015. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 23 in 1987. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 344 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tanessa’s family of names
Tanessa has a related form in Tanesha.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Tanessa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Talitha
“a maiden; young girl”
>99% girls
Tania
“queen of the fairies”
>99% girls
Taryn
“of the thunder” · “from the high, rocky hill”
7% boys · 93% girls
Tiara
“one who is crowned”
>99% girls
Alona
“one who is as strong as an oak”
>99% girls
Karissa
“filled with grace and kindess; very dear”
>99% girls
Carissa
“a woman of grace”
>99% girls
Vanessa
“resembling a butterfly”
>99% girls