Nessa: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,744

among girls · ↑138 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Nessa · +9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 25,512

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2016

83 babies

All-time total

1,368

#6,067 all-time among girls

First recorded

1935

in Social Security records

Nessa popularity over time

1,368 babies have been named Nessa since 1935, 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	5	1	–	#4,711
1940s	11	1	+120%	#4,851
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	12	1	–	#6,382
1970s	73	7	+508%	#4,520
1980s	105	11	+44%	#4,608
1990s	139	14	+32%	#5,611
2000s	225	23	+62%	#4,461
2010s	458	46	+104%	#2,302
2020s (to 2025)	340	57	+24%	#2,744

Where Nessa 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	64	0.04	outside top 500
2027	65	0.04	outside top 500
2028	66	0.04	outside top 500
2029	67	0.04	outside top 500
2030	68	0.04	outside top 500

The story of Nessa

Nessa is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,744 in 2025 with 63 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1935, 1,368 American babies have been named Nessa. Its peak came in 2016, when 83 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Nessa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nessa?

The median living Nessa is about 11 years old; half are between 5 and 25. An estimated 1,300 people named Nessa 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.

Nessa year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	63	#2,744
2024	58	#2,882
2023	54	#3,078
2022	53	#3,110
2021	59	#2,881
2020	53	#3,054
2019	43	#3,599
2018	63	#2,731
2017	74	#2,456
2016	83	#2,302
2015	49	#3,334
2014	32	#4,524
2013	32	#4,512
2012	20	#6,515
2011	37	#4,051
2010	25	#5,551
2009	31	#4,776
2008	28	#5,239
2007	26	#5,486
2006	26	#5,340
2005	31	#4,461
2004	25	#5,171
2003	10	#10,221
2002	19	#6,057
2001	17	#6,540
2000	12	#8,404
1995	11	#7,914
1990	14	#6,364
1985	9	#7,371
1980	15	#4,909
1975	9	#6,291
1970	6	#7,691
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	5	#4,851
1935	5	#4,711
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nessa?

The median living Nessa is about 11 years old. Half of all living Nessas are between 5 and 25 years old.

How many people named Nessa are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Nessa are alive in the United States, based on 1,368 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nessa mean?

A female given name, nickname of Vanessa.

How popular is the name Nessa in 2025?

Nessa ranked #2,744 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 63 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nessa?

1,368 babies have been named Nessa in the United States since 1935, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nessa most popular?

Nessa peaked in 2016, when 83 newborns received the name.

Is Nessa a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Nessa rising or falling?

Nessa is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nessa become more popular?

Nessa is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 68 girls named Nessa in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nessa

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

Compare Nessa with similar names → More names starting with N →