Vanessa is a very popular girls' name that peaked in 1985 and has since faded.
Vanessa is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #377 for girl births in the United States (and #785 across all names), given to 813 babies. Vanessa was first reported in SSA data in 1900 and peaked in 1985 (7,563 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 813 | 813 | #377 | — |
| 2024 | 938 | 938 | #335 | — |
| 2023 | 1,014 | 1,014 | #304 | — |
| 2022 | 1,026 | 1,026 | #311 | — |
| 2021 | 1,226 | 1,226 | #253 | — |
| 2020 | 1,384 | 1,384 | #209 | — |
| 2019 | 1,224 | 1,224 | #272 | — |
| 2018 | 1,378 | 1,378 | #231 | — |
| 2017 | 1,521 | 1,521 | #203 | — |
| 2016 | 1,664 | 1,664 | #197 | — |
| 2015 | 1,729 | 1,729 | #187 | — |
| 2014 | 1,932 | 1,932 | #171 | #13,944 |
| 2013 | 2,102 | 2,102 | #152 | #10,658 |
| 2012 | 2,554 | 2,554 | #123 | — |
| 2011 | 2,626 | 2,632 | #120 | #12,193 |
| 2010 | 2,894 | 2,903 | #107 | #12,122 |
| 2009 | 3,523 | 3,528 | #91 | — |
| 2008 | 4,038 | 4,052 | #78 | #12,460 |
| 2007 | 4,455 | 4,455 | #71 | #9,735 |
| 2006 | 4,175 | 4,183 | #79 | #11,974 |
| 2005 | 4,103 | 4,113 | #80 | #9,051 |
| 2004 | 4,359 | 4,371 | #75 | #8,115 |
| 2003 | 4,358 | 4,369 | #70 | #10,821 |
| 2002 | 4,460 | 4,460 | #68 | #12,396 |
| 2001 | 4,680 | 4,700 | #64 | #8,295 |
| 2000 | 5,146 | 5,161 | #62 | #5,894 |
| 1999 | 5,297 | 5,320 | #57 | #6,506 |
| 1998 | 5,843 | 5,876 | #52 | #5,149 |
| 1997 | 5,816 | — | #54 | #3,594 |
| 1996 | 5,763 | — | #60 | #4,011 |
| 1995 | 5,420 | — | #63 | #4,042 |
| 1994 | 5,570 | — | #59 | #3,742 |
| 1993 | 5,920 | — | #55 | #2,503 |
| 1992 | 6,110 | — | #55 | #2,464 |
| 1991 | 5,954 | — | #56 | #2,539 |
| 1990 | 6,441 | — | #56 | #2,253 |
| 1989 | 7,015 | — | #50 | #1,548 |
| 1988 | 7,588 | — | #41 | #1,201 |
| 1987 | 7,394 | — | #43 | #1,561 |
| 1986 | 7,513 | — | #43 | #1,534 |
| 1985 | 7,605 | — | #42 | #1,566 |
| 1984 | 7,199 | — | #45 | #1,479 |
| 1983 | 6,446 | — | #49 | #1,202 |
| 1982 | 6,207 | — | #49 | #1,292 |
| 1981 | 4,773 | — | #62 | #2,201 |
| 1980 | 4,447 | — | #69 | #2,440 |
| 1979 | 4,119 | — | #75 | #2,772 |
| 1978 | 3,865 | — | #76 | #3,389 |
| 1977 | 3,224 | — | #90 | #2,902 |
| 1976 | 2,473 | — | #106 | #3,711 |
| 1975 | 2,454 | — | #115 | #2,893 |
| 1974 | 2,362 | — | #122 | #3,824 |
| 1973 | 2,154 | — | #134 | #3,437 |
| 1972 | 2,289 | — | #133 | #3,606 |
| 1971 | 2,667 | — | #129 | #3,354 |
| 1970 | 2,581 | — | #138 | #5,401 |
| 1969 | 2,240 | — | #147 | #4,385 |
| 1968 | 1,802 | — | #181 | #4,718 |
| 1967 | 1,875 | — | #170 | #3,952 |
| 1966 | 1,651 | — | #197 | #3,236 |
| 1965 | 1,638 | — | #203 | #3,906 |
| 1964 | 2,064 | — | #183 | #3,270 |
| 1963 | 2,032 | — | #188 | — |
| 1962 | 2,251 | — | #175 | #3,621 |
| 1961 | 2,774 | — | #153 | #3,081 |
| 1960 | 2,719 | — | #155 | #3,323 |
| 1959 | 3,134 | — | #139 | #2,290 |
| 1958 | 2,754 | — | #148 | #2,803 |
| 1957 | 2,387 | — | #159 | #3,243 |
| 1956 | 2,617 | — | #145 | — |
| 1955 | 2,705 | — | #140 | #3,487 |
| 1954 | 2,652 | — | #142 | #2,934 |
| 1953 | 2,007 | — | #164 | — |
| 1952 | 695 | — | #303 | — |
| 1951 | 176 | — | #657 | — |
| 1950 | 91 | — | #943 | — |
| 1949 | 70 | — | #1,076 | — |
| 1948 | 69 | — | #1,069 | — |
| 1947 | 59 | — | #1,181 | — |
| 1946 | 14 | — | #2,731 | — |
| 1945 | 19 | — | #1,988 | — |
| 1944 | 13 | — | #2,617 | — |
| 1943 | 10 | — | #3,231 | — |
| 1942 | 16 | — | #2,307 | — |
| 1941 | 11 | — | #2,832 | — |
| 1940 | 14 | — | #2,291 | — |
| 1939 | 7 | — | #3,758 | — |
| 1938 | 15 | — | #2,212 | — |
| 1937 | 17 | — | #1,994 | — |
| 1936 | 20 | — | #1,739 | — |
| 1935 | 32 | — | #1,304 | — |
| 1933 | 7 | — | #3,719 | — |
| 1932 | 9 | — | #3,256 | — |
| 1931 | 7 | — | #3,816 | — |
| 1930 | 10 | — | #3,040 | — |
| 1929 | 5 | — | #5,231 | — |
| 1928 | 6 | — | #4,688 | — |
| 1927 | 5 | — | #5,550 | — |
| 1925 | 9 | — | #3,640 | — |
| 1923 | 9 | — | #3,623 | — |
| 1922 | 6 | — | #4,967 | — |
| 1921 | 5 | — | #5,808 | — |
| 1920 | 6 | — | #4,929 | — |
| 1919 | 6 | — | #4,770 | — |
| 1917 | 6 | — | #4,556 | — |
| 1916 | 8 | — | #3,527 | — |
| 1915 | 10 | — | #2,884 | — |
| 1913 | 5 | — | #3,667 | — |
| 1900 | 6 | — | #1,919 | — |