Janessa: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,741

among girls · ↓170 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

117

named Janessa · -13% vs 2024

How common

1 in 13,737

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2009

556 babies

All-time total

14,722

#1,301 all-time among girls

First recorded

1954

in Social Security records

Janessa popularity over time

14,722 babies have been named Janessa since 1954, 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

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	31	3	–	#4,283
1960s	84	8	+171%	#2,817
1970s	362	36	+331%	#1,499
1980s	1,724	172	+376%	#775
1990s	3,077	308	+78%	#610
2000s	4,712	471	+53%	#524
2010s	3,691	369	-22%	#554
2020s (to 2025)	1,041	174	-53%	#1,142

Where Janessa is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	107	0.07	outside top 500
2027	100	0.06	outside top 500
2028	94	0.06	outside top 500
2029	89	0.06	outside top 500
2030	85	0.05	outside top 500

Where Janessa is most popular

Girls named Janessa per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.103 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, Indiana, and Arizona.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Janessa born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New Mexico	17	0.699	+581%
Indiana	31	0.221	+115%
Arizona	28	0.200	+94%
California	146	0.174	+69%
Pennsylvania	41	0.173	+69%
Minnesota	18	0.167	+62%
Florida	57	0.133	+30%
Texas	99	0.123	+20%
Wisconsin	12	0.117	+13%
Nevada	5	0.108	+5%
Illinois	24	0.105	≈ national
North Carolina	16	0.070	-32%
New York	27	0.068	-34%
Massachusetts	8	0.066	-36%
South Carolina	5	0.056	-46%
Colorado	5	0.045	-56%
Virginia	7	0.041	-60%
Washington	5	0.035	-66%
Georgia	7	0.031	-70%
Michigan	5	0.027	-73%
Ohio	5	0.021	-79%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Janessa

Janessa is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,741 in 2025 with 117 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1954, 14,722 American babies have been named Janessa. Its peak came in 2009, when 556 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 Janessa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Janessa?

The median living Janessa is about 20 years old; half are between 13 and 31. An estimated 15 thousand people named Janessa are alive in the United States today.

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

Janessa year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	117	#1,741
2024	135	#1,571
2023	166	#1,357
2022	206	#1,174
2021	209	#1,172
2020	208	#1,142
2019	227	#1,095
2018	272	#972
2017	303	#891
2016	313	#894
2015	397	#716
2014	368	#761
2013	407	#696
2012	426	#665
2011	451	#630
2010	527	#554
2009	556	#545
2008	536	#574
2007	547	#557
2006	488	#596
2005	488	#583
2004	544	#524
2003	465	#590
2002	390	#647
2001	352	#706
2000	346	#686
1995	264	#766
1990	318	#676
1985	152	#1,004
1980	117	#1,154
1975	36	#2,293
1970	21	#3,150
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	6	#5,469
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Janessa?

The median living Janessa is about 20 years old. Half of all living Janessas are between 13 and 31 years old.

How many people named Janessa are alive today?

An estimated 15 thousand people named Janessa are alive in the United States, based on 14,722 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Janessa mean?

20th-century blend of Janice +‎ Vanessa.

How popular is the name Janessa in 2025?

Janessa ranked #1,741 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 117 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Janessa?

14,722 babies have been named Janessa in the United States since 1954, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Janessa most popular?

Janessa peaked in 2009, when 556 newborns received the name.

Is Janessa a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Janessa rising or falling?

Janessa is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Janessa become more popular?

Janessa is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 85 girls named Janessa in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Janessa

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

Compare Janessa with similar names → More names starting with J →