Vanessa is a distinctive choice, ranked #533 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Vanessa in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#533
US Rank #335
About the Name Vanessa
Vanessa is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 132 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #202 in 1996 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Vanessa is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #335, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Vanessa
Unlikely. With around 73 UK babies named Vanessa per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Vanessa in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Vanessa is currently rising in popularity in the UK, up 132 places over the last five years to #533 in 2024. If this trend continues, it will become more common in classrooms over the next decade.
Vanessa is more popular in the US (#335) than in the UK (#533). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Vanessa include: Vanessa Branson — Vanessa Branson is an English businesswoman and the founder of the Marrakech Biennale.; Vanessa Williams — Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American singer, actress, model, producer and dancer.; Vanessa del Rio — Vanessa del Rio is an American retired pornographic actress..
Vanessa appears in the US top 500 at #335 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
73
UK babies named Vanessa (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 132 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Vanessa
Likely around 1 other Vanessa in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Vanessa
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American singer, actress, model, producer and dancer. She gained recognition as the first black woman to win the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984.
Vanessa Ongkeko de Jesus is a Filipino-American college basketball player for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). She previously played for the Duke Blue Devils.
Jessica Vanessa DeLeon is an American internet personality and actress. DeLeon rose to prominence posting comedic videos to the social media application Vine and when Cosmopolitan Magazine wrote a feature naming her "The Woman Who Makes Six Figures Being A Professional Twerker".