Given name

Vannessa

“resembling a butterfly”

Vannessa is a variant of Vanessa. One Greek interpretation is “resembling a butterfly.”

Meaning & origin

What it means

Vannessa is a variant of Vanessa. One Greek interpretation is “resembling a butterfly.”

Explained through its name family

Where it comes from

Vannessa is a variant of Vanessa. An origin associated with Vanessa is Greek.

Explained through its name family

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1951. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Vannessa through the years

Babies since 1880
3,231
0 boys · 3,231 girls
Most popular year
1987
123 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
−71%
Cooling
0204060801960198020002025Highest share 19870.0
Vannessa in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1951–2025, per million girls born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 2022. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 123 in 1987. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,828 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.

Vannessa’s family of names

In German usage, Vannessa has a related form in Vanessa.

Walk Vannessa’s family in the name graph

VannessaVannessahVanessa

Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Nicknames & forms 1

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 1

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Similar names

If you love Vannessa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Cambodian

Vanna

“golden-haired woman”

33RareEasing

>99% girls

Hebrew

Alona

“one who is as strong as an oak”

30RareEasing

>99% girls

Greek · Modern

Karissa

“filled with grace and kindess; very dear”

33RareCooling

>99% girls

Greek · Virtue

Carissa

“a woman of grace”

31RareCooling

>99% girls

Germanic languages

Alisha

Alisha is a feminine given name from Germanic.

46UncommonEasing

>99% girls

Literary

Alyse

“noble” · “kind”

33RareEasing

>99% girls

Literary

Alissa

“noble” · “kind”

39RareEasing

>99% girls

Russian

Natasha

“born on Christmas Day”

47UncommonEasing

>99% girls

Sibling ideas

Names that share Vannessa’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Vannessa

A sister for Vannessa