Vanessa is a feminine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

. It was invented by the

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

writer

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...

for Esther Vanhomrigh, whom Swift had met in 1708 and whom he tutored. The name was created by taking " Van" from Vanhomrigh's last name and adding "Essa", a pet form of

Esther Esther (; ), originally Hadassah (; ), is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical narrative, which is set in the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and ma ...

. In 1726, the name Vanessa appeared in print for the first time in " Cadenus and Vanessa", an autobiographical poem about Swift's relationship with Vanhomrigh. Swift had written the poem in 1713, but it was not published until three years after Vanhomrigh died. Vanessa was adopted as the name of a genus of butterfly by

Johan Christian Fabricius Johann Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, and is co ...

in 1807. Vanessa was the 71st most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007. It has been among the top 200 names for girls in the United States since 1953 and among the top 100 names for girls since 1977. It first appeared among the top 1,000 names for girls in the United States in 1950, when it appeared on the list in 939th place. In Germany, Vanessa has been among the top 100 names for girls since 1976. The name became more and more popular and was the 7th most popular name for girls in the 1990s. In the following years its popularity dropped and the name is ranked in 42nd place for the decade 2000–2009.

Notable people with the given name

* Vanessa Aleksander (born 1996), Polish actress * Vanessa Atler (born 1982), American gymnast * Vanessa Ament (born 1955), American foley artist and author * Vanessa Amorosi (born 1981), Australian singer * Vanessa Anderson, Australian teen whose death led to the Garling Report * Vanessa Angel (English actress) (born 1966), English actress and model * Vanessa Angel (Indonesian actress) (1992–2021), Indonesian actress, model and singer * Vanessa Axente (born 1995), Hungarian fashion model * Vanessa Baden (born 1985), American actress, writer, director, and producer * Vanessa Barrs, Australian veterinary scientist * Vanessa Bayer (born 1981), American actress, comedian and cast member from ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' * Vanessa Beecroft (born 1969), Italian artist *

Vanessa Bell Vanessa Bell (née Stephen; 30 May 1879 – 7 April 1961) was an English painter and interior designer, a member of the Bloomsbury Group and the sister of Virginia Woolf (née Stephen). Early life and education Vanessa Stephen was the eld ...

(1879–1961), English artist and the sister of author Virginia Woolf * Vanessa Bell Armstrong (born 1953), American gospel singer * Vanessa Bell Calloway (born 1957), American actress * Vanessa Benelli Mosell (born 1987), Italian pianist * Vanessa Branch (born 1973), English-American model and actress * Vanessa Brown (1928–1999), Austrian-American actress * Vanessa L. Brown (born 1966), Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who was convicted of bribery * Vanessa Bryant (born 1982), American philanthropist, nonprofit executive, and former model * Vanessa Carlton (born 1980), American singer, best known for her hit single " A Thousand Miles" * Vanessa Claudio (born 1983), Puerto Rican television personality, model, and beauty pageant contestant * Vanessa Coleman (born 1988), American criminal convicted of facilitating the kidnap, rape, and murder of Channon Christian * Vanessa da Mata (born 1976), Brazilian singer * Vanessa Djomo (born 1998), Cameroonian footballer * Vanessa Downing (born 1958), Australian actress * Vanessa Duriès (1972–1993), French writer * Vanessa Erogbogbo, Ugandan economist * Vanessa Feltz (born 1962), English journalist and broadcaster * Vanessa Ferlito (born 1977), American actress * Vanessa Ferrari (born 1990), Italian gymnast * Vanessa García (born 1984), Puerto Rican freestyle swimmer * Vanessa George, English paedophile convicted in the 2009 Plymouth child abuse case * Vanessa german (born 1976), American artist and performer * Vanessa Giacomo (born 1983), Brazilian actress * Vanessa Gibson (born 1979), American politician * Vanessa Gilles (born 1996), Canadian professional soccer player * Vanessa González (born 1983), Costa Rican singer-songwriter * Vanessa Green, New Zealand educational theorist and academic * Vanessa Grigoriadis, American journalist * Vanessa Guillén (2000-2020), murdered American soldier * Vanessa Briscoe Hay (born 1955), American singer * Vanessa Hehir (born 1981), English actress * Vanessa Heleta, Tongan women's rights activist and Special Olympics organiser * Vanessa Herrmann (born 1991), Thai actress and model * Vanesa Hocková (born 2000), Slovak sport shooter * Vanessa Herzog (born 1995), Austrian speed skater * Vanessa Hessler (born 1988), American-Italian model and actress * Vanessa Howard (1948–2010), British actress and backup singer *

Vanessa Hudgens Vanessa Anne Hudgens ( ; born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in '' Thirteen'' (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the ''High School Musical'' film series (200 ...

(born 1988), American actress and singer * Vanessa Hudson (born 1969/1970), Australian business executive and CEO * Vanessa Huppenkothen (born 1984), Mexican model, actress, and presenter * Vanessa James (born 1987), Canadian pair skater * Vanessa Kaiser (born 1977), Chilean columnist and politician * Vanessa Kerry (born 1976), American physician, public health expert, and advocate * Vanessa King (born 1980), Canadian actress * Vanessa Kirby (born 1988), British actress * Vanessa Krasniqi (born 1994), Albanian-German singer *

Vanessa Kraven Vanessa Kraven (born February 10, 1982), is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who competed in several Independent circuit, independent Professional wrestling promotion, promotions in both the United States and Canada. She ...

(born 1982), Canadian wrestler * Vanessa Koutouan (born 1988), Ivorian women's rights activist * Vanessa Lachey (born 1980), American television personality, television host, and actress * Vanessa Lapa (born 1975), Israeli documentary filmmaker * Vanessa Lengies (born 1985), Canadian actress * Vanessa Lillie, American Cherokee writer * Vanessa Lindores, Canadian actress who was a cast member on the Canadian sketch comedy TV series ''

You Can't Do That on Television ''You Can't Do That on Television'' is a Canadian sketch comedy television series that aired locally in 1979 before airing in the United States in 1981. It featured adolescent and teenage actors performing in a sketch comedy format similar to A ...

'' * Vanessa de Lisle, British fashion journalist * Vanessa Lloyd-Davies (1960–2005), British doctor, equestrian and soldier * Vanessa Lopes (born 2001), Brazilian social media personality * Vanessa Low (born 1990), German-Australian Paralympic athlete * Vanessa Mae (born 1978), Singapore-born British violinist and Olympic alpine skier * Vanessa Mai (born 1992), German singer * Vanessa Marano (born 1992), American actress * Vanessa Marcil (born 1958), American actress * Vanessa Marcotte (1989–2016), American murder victim * Vanessa Mark (born 1996), German bobsledder * Vanessa Marques (born 1996), Portuguese football player * Vanessa Marquez (1968–2018), American actress * Vanessa Marshall (born 1969), American actress and voice actress * Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, American drag queen * Vanessa Mdee (born 1988), Tanzanian singer and TV personality * Vanessa Merrell (born 1996), American actress (temporary role in ''Jane the Virgin'') and YouTuber * Vanessa Morgan (born 1992), Canadian actress * Vanessa Nakate (born 1996), Ugandan climate activist * Vanessa Noel (born 1961), American fashion designer *

Vanessa O'Brien Vanessa Audi Rhys O'Brien is a British and American mountaineer, sub-orbital spaceflight participant, explorer, and former business executive. On 12 June 2020, O'Brien became the first woman to reach Earth's highest and lowest points. She is a F ...

(born 1964), British-American mountaineer * Vanessa Paradis (born 1972), French actress and singer * Vanessa Place (born 1968), American writer, poet, and attorney * Vanessa Ponce (born 1992), Mexican model and beauty queen, crowned Miss World 2018 * Vanessa Porto (born 1984), Brazilian mixed martial artist * Vanessa Ray (born 1981), American actress *

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

(born 1937), English actress and political activist * Vanessa del Rio (born 1952), American pornographic actress * Vannesa Rosales (born 1989), Venezuelan activist and teacher * Vanessa Rousso (born 1983), American poker player * Vanessa Schulz (born 1969), South African born documentary filmmaker * Vanessa Sears (born 1993), Canadian actress and singer * Vanesa Šelmeková (born 2007), Slovak figure skater * Vanessa Springora (born 1972), French publisher, writer and film director * Vanessa Trump (born 1977), ex-wife of

Donald Trump Jr Donald John Trump Jr. (born December 31, 1977), often nicknamed Don Jr., is an American businessman and political activist. He is the eldest child of U.S. president Donald Trump and his first wife Ivana. Trump serves as a trustee and exe ...

* Vanessa C. Tyson, American political scientist * Vanessa Uri, birth name of Filipina actress Halina Perez (1983–2004) * Vanessa Ward (née ''Browne'') (born 1963), Australian high jumper * Vanessa Watts (born 1987), West Indian cricketer * Vanessa White (born 1989), English singer with The Saturdays * Vanessa Estelle Williams (sometimes professionally Vanessa A. Williams) (born 1963), American actress * Vanessa Williams (sometimes professionally Vanessa L. Williams) (born 1963), American model, singer, songwriter, and actress * Vanessa R. Williams (born 1960), American gospel singer * Vanessa Zahorian (born 1978/1979), American ballet dancer

Fictional characters

* Vanessa (''King of Fighters''), a character in SNK Playmore's ''

The King of Fighters ''The King of Fighters'' (''KOF'') is a series of fighting games by SNK that began with the release of ''The King of Fighters '94'' in 1994. The series was initially developed for SNK's Neo Geo (system), Neo Geo MVS arcade hardware and received ...

'' video game series * Vanessa, a character in Disney's 1989 animated film '' The Little Mermaid'', the name of the human form taken by the villain Ursula to seduce Prince Eric * Vanessa, a character in the animated television series ''

Winx Club ''Winx Club'' is an animated television series co-produced by Rainbow S.p.A., Rainbow and, later, Nickelodeon. It was created and directed by Italian animator Iginio Straffi. It premiered on 28January 2004, becoming a ratings success in Ita ...

'' * Vanessa Dale, main character and lead heroine in the American soap opera ''

Love of Life ''Love of Life'' is an American soap opera televised on CBS from September 24, 1951, to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation '' Search for Tomorrow'' premiered three weeks before ''Love of Life''; he created ...

'' * Vanessa Diodati, a character in the anime series '' Symphogear'' * Vanessa Abrams, a character in the CW television series ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series created and developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. It follows a group of students on Manhattan's ...

'' * Vanessa Bloome, a character in the 2007 Dreamworks film ''

Bee Movie ''Bee Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Columbus 81 Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner from a screenplay by the writing team o ...

'' * Vanessa Chamberlain Lewis, a character from CBS' longest-running soap opera, ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'' * Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, Dr. Doofensmirtz's daughter in the animated television series ''

Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...

'' * Vanessa Fisk, wife of mobster Wilson Fisk, Kingpin of Crime in the Marvel Comic Universe * Vanessa Gold, a character from the British soap opera, ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' * Vanessa Huxtable, a character in the American television sitcom ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom created by (along with Ed. Weinberger and Michael J. Leeson) and starring Bill Cosby that originally aired on NBC from September 20, 1984, to April 30, 1992, with a total of 201 half-hour e ...

'' * Vanessa Ives, a character of tremendous power and importance in ''

Penny Dreadful Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular Serial (literature), serial literature produced during the 19th century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typical ...

'' * Vanessa "Nessa" Jenkins, from the British comedy series '' Gavin & Stacey'' * Vanessa "Nessie" Kapatelis, supporting character in the

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

comic book series * Vanessa Kensington, British secret agent from the 1997 film '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' * Vanessa Lewis, a character in the ''

Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original ''Virtua Fighter (video game), Virtua Fighter'' was released in December 1993 and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential ...

'' video game series * Vanessa Merriman, a character in Karen McManus's '' One of Us Is Lying'' * Vanessa Morita, one of the main characters in the Canadian drama series '' Backstage'' * Vanessa Russell, a character from the 90s sitcom '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'' *

Vanessa Z. Schneider is a character from the 2003 Capcom video game ''P.N.03''. A mercenary working in space, she is tasked with destroying berserk robots, utilizing a high-tech bodysuit that allows her to fire energy blasts from her hands. By the end of the game, ...

, a character from the 2003

Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...

video game '' P.N.03'' *

Vanessa Villante Vanessa Villante is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Alin Sumarwata. The actress's casting was announced on 5 December 2011, though she began filming the week before. Sumarwata and her family relocated ...

, a character from the Australian soap opera, ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...

'' * Vanessa Woodfield, a character from the British soap opera, ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...

'' * Vanessa "Ness" Carlysle, supporting character from '' Deadpool'' * Vanessa, a character from the animated series ''

The Hollow ''The Hollow'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company, Dodd, Mead & Co. in 1946 and in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club in November of the sam ...

'' * Vanessa Van Helsing, the titular main character of the television series '' Van Helsing'' * Vanessa Hysel, a character and minor

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...

game '' Octopath Traveler'' * Vanessa, the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of the mobile rhythm game '' Cytus'' and central character in the sequel ''Cytus II'' * Vanessa, the security guard in the 2021 game '' Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach''. She also appears in movie adaptation of series, as one of protagonists under name Vanessa Shelly * Queen Vanessa, an enemy from the 2017 video game ''

A Hat in Time ''A Hat in Time'' is a 2017 platform game developed by Danish game studio Gears for Breakfast and published by Humble Bundle. The game was developed using Unreal Engine 3 and funded through a Kickstarter campaign, which nearly doubled its fundr ...

'' * Vanessa Lutz, a character from the 1996 film ''

Freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

'' * Vanessa Wye, the protagonist of the 2020 novel '' My Dark Vanessa'' * Vanessa James, a ''

Stargate Universe ''Stargate Universe'' (often abbreviated as ''SGU'') is a military science fiction drama television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the An ...

'' character

References

External links

* {{given name English feminine given names Feminine given names German feminine given names Italian feminine given names Spanish feminine given names