Nessa
A female given name, nickname of Vanessa.
Every Nessa since 1935 — 1,368 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
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.
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
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.