Girls' name · since 1954
Janessa
14,722 babies named Janessa in U.S. Social Security records since 1954, with the highest year being 2009. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,301 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,740 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 14,722
- born since 1954
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Janessa is the #1740 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 14,722 recorded since 1954.
Social Security Administration records show Janessa recorded 14,722 times among girls since 1954, holding rank #1740 nationally today, ahead of 90% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1954 to 2025.
- #1,301 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #1,740 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 14,722 born since 1954
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Janessa ranks #1,301 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,740 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 14,722 born since 1954, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1,301 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,740 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 14,722
- born since 1954
- 2000s
- peak decade
Janessa's 14,722 recorded births place it above 98.2% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
44 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Janessa compares
14,722 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Janessa's all-time total is 39x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Janessa | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,722 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 556 | 21 | 19,840 |
Janessa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Janessa's SSA record in two at 1992 and the more recent half accounts for 80% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 20%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1955, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 2009 peak of 556, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Janessa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1954–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 556
- Annual births at peak, across 72 years of records
Janessa by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (4,712 births, 32% of the file).
2000s was Janessa's strongest decade.
4,712 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Janessa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 31
1950s
31 births
- 1960s 84
1960s
84 births
- 1970s 362
1970s
362 births
- 1980s 1,724
1980s
1,724 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,077 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,712 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,691 births
- 2020s 1,041
2020s
1,041 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 4,712 births (32% of all-time use).
How Janessa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Janessa's total volume
Janessa by state
Where Janessa concentrates geographically, total births since 1954
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,862 | 19.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,182 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 962 | 6.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 633 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 563 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 545 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Washington | | 429 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Colorado | | 387 | 2.6% |
2,862 of 14,722 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Janessa appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Janessa? ▼
Where does Janessa sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Janessa most popular? ▼
Where is Janessa most popular? ▼
How long has the name Janessa been used? ▼
What names are similar to Janessa? ▼
What to do with Janessa's data
- Janessa's decade-level peak was the 2000s (4,712 total births); usage has since declined to 1,041 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Janessas (2,862 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Janessa
Nearby Names Like Janessa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Janessa
Compare Janessa side by side: Janessa vs Janet Janessa vs Janice Janessa vs Jane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Janessa
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Janessa: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2009)
Similar record span (~71 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1954–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Janessa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.