Home βΊ Baby Names Directory βΊ Vannesa
Vannesa
How to Pronounce Vannesa
Pronounced vuh-NESS-uh /vΙΛnΙs.Ι/Medium
Meaning: Vannesa is a spelling variant of Vanessa, the name the satirist Jonathan Swift invented for his friend Esther Vanhomrigh by blending 'Van' from her surname with 'Essa'. Vannesa keeps that meaning while doubling the n and dropping one s.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Vannesa is a variant spelling of Vanessa, a name with a curious literary origin: Jonathan Swift assembled it in the early eighteenth century from Esther Vanhomrigh's name. This particular respelling surfaced in American records from the mid-1950s and peaked around 1990 at a few dozen girls a year.
Like most respellings, Vannesa rode the wave of its familiar parent while never approaching Vanessa's own popularity. It reads as a personalized take on a well-loved classic, and a girl given it at its height would be in her thirties today.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Vannesaβ¦
Explore names like Vannesa
Frequently Asked
What does the name Vannesa mean?
Vannesa is a spelling variant of Vanessa, a literary name coined by Jonathan Swift.
How do you pronounce Vannesa?
It's said vuh-NESS-uh /vΙΛnΙs.Ι/ β three syllables, stress on the middle.
Is Vannesa a boy or girl name?
Vannesa is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Vannesa?
Vannesa is an uncommon respelling of the far more familiar Vanessa.