Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2005

Inessa

Meaning From Russian Ине́сса (Inéssa) Gender Girl Rank 2025 #6,949

From Russian Ине́сса (Inéssa).

Rank 2025
#6,949
among girls · ↓2,710 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
16
named Inessa · -53% vs 2024
How common
1 in 100,454
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2005
36 babies
All-time total
659
#9,920 all-time among girls
First recorded
1988
in Social Security records

Inessa popularity over time

659 babies have been named Inessa since 1988, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2024Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s 10 1 – #12,493
1990s 90 9 +800% #6,506
2000s 196 20 +118% #3,980
2010s 229 23 +17% #4,283
2020s (to 2025) 134 22 -2% #4,239

The story of Inessa

Inessa is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,949 in 2025 with 16 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1988, 659 American babies have been named Inessa. Its peak came in 2005, when 36 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Inessa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Inessa?

The median living Inessa is about 14 years old; half are between 7 and 21. An estimated 700 people named Inessa are alive in the United States today.

median 14 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Inessa year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 16 #6,949
2024 34 #4,239
2023 24 #5,305
2022 24 #5,374
2021 17 #6,808
2020 19 #6,170
2019 17 #6,838
2018 17 #6,915
2017 25 #5,235
2016 16 #7,381
2015 25 #5,359
2014 24 #5,535
2013 34 #4,283
2012 24 #5,616
2011 23 #5,814
2010 24 #5,690
2009 19 #6,911
2008 23 #6,016
2007 29 #5,006
2006 19 #6,688
2005 36 #3,980
2004 13 #8,431
2003 16 #7,000
2002 18 #6,240
2001 10 #9,650
2000 13 #7,742
1995 8 #9,913
1990 6 #11,917
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Inessa

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Inessa Armand Inessa Armand French communist politician (1874–1920) 19th century
  2. 2 Inessa Kravets Inessa Kravets Soviet and Ukrainian triple and long jumper b. 1966 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Inessa, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Inessa?

The median living Inessa is about 14 years old. Half of all living Inessas are between 7 and 21 years old.

How many people named Inessa are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Inessa are alive in the United States, based on 659 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Inessa mean?

From Russian Ине́сса (Inéssa).

How popular is the name Inessa in 2025?

Inessa ranked #6,949 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 16 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Inessa?

659 babies have been named Inessa in the United States since 1988, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Inessa most popular?

Inessa peaked in 2005, when 36 newborns received the name.

Is Inessa a boy or girl name?

Inessa is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Inessa rising or falling?

Inessa has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Inessa?

Well-known people named Inessa include Inessa Armand (politician), Inessa Kravets (athlete).

Names like Inessa

Names that sound and feel close to Inessa: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Inessa with similar names → More names starting with I →