Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2002

Vanesa

Meaning Spelling variant of Vanessa Gender Girl Rank 2025 #4,872 Trend → Stable

Spelling variant of Vanessa.

Rank 2025
#4,872
among girls · ↑559 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
28
named Vanesa · +17% vs 2024
How common
1 in 57,402
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2002
271 babies
All-time total
6,544
#2,169 all-time among girls
First recorded
1953
in Social Security records

Vanesa popularity over time

6,544 babies have been named Vanesa since 1953, 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
0.050.10.150.218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s 63 – 63 6 – #2,857
1960s 120 – 120 12 +90% #3,183
1970s 274 – 274 27 +128% #2,018
1980s 1,064 5 1,069 107 +290% #1,086
1990s 1,945 – 1,945 195 +82% #842
2000s 2,216 – 2,216 222 +14% #852
2010s 710 – 710 71 -68% #1,627
2020s (to 2025) 147 – 147 25 -65% #4,872

Where Vanesa 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 28 0.02 outside top 500
2027 28 0.02 outside top 500
2028 27 0.02 outside top 500
2029 27 0.02 outside top 500
2030 27 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Vanesa

Vanesa is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,872 in 2025 with 28 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1953, 6,544 American babies have been named Vanesa. Its peak came in 2002, when 271 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 Vanesa stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Vanesa?

The median living Vanesa is about 26 years old; half are between 19 and 35. An estimated 6,400 people named Vanesa are alive in the United States today.

median 26 020406080100

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

Vanesa year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 28 #4,872 – –
2024 24 #5,431 – –
2023 24 #5,375 – –
2022 26 #5,166 – –
2021 23 #5,560 – –
2020 22 #5,657 – –
2019 32 #4,431 – –
2018 30 #4,655 – –
2017 41 #3,765 – –
2016 42 #3,702 – –
2015 54 #3,126 – –
2014 68 #2,614 – –
2013 84 #2,235 – –
2012 133 #1,627 – –
2011 108 #1,872 – –
2010 118 #1,760 – –
2009 175 #1,363 – –
2008 231 #1,121 – –
2007 236 #1,101 – –
2006 220 #1,129 – –
2005 209 #1,128 – –
2004 220 #1,057 – –
2003 240 #970 – –
2002 271 #852 – –
2001 217 #992 – –
2000 197 #1,059 – –
1995 183 #1,015 – –
1990 151 #1,145 – –
1985 120 #1,184 5 #7,535
1980 56 #1,934 – –
1975 25 #2,964 – –
1970 16 #3,864 – –
1965 10 #4,482 – –
1960 13 #3,677 – –
1955 5 #6,680 – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Vanesa?

The median living Vanesa is about 26 years old. Half of all living Vanesas are between 19 and 35 years old.

How many people named Vanesa are alive today?

An estimated 6,400 people named Vanesa are alive in the United States, based on 6,544 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Vanesa mean?

Spelling variant of Vanessa.

How popular is the name Vanesa in 2025?

Vanesa ranked #4,872 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 28 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Vanesa?

6,544 babies have been named Vanesa in the United States since 1953, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Vanesa most popular?

Vanesa peaked in 2002, when 271 newborns received the name.

Is Vanesa a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Vanesa rising or falling?

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

Will Vanesa become more popular?

Vanesa looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 27 girls named Vanesa in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Vanesa

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

Compare Vanesa with similar names → More names starting with V →