Total births
14,722
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.
- #1570
- among girls today
- 14,722
- born since 1954
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Janessa is the #1570 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 #1570 nationally today, ahead of 91% 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.
- #1570 among girls today
- 14,722 born since 1954
- 2000s peak decade
- 91% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Janessa is currently the #1570 girls' name in America, more common than 91% of girls - 14,722 born since 1954, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1570
- among girls today
- 14,722
- born since 1954
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other girls
Janessa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1570
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 91% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Janessa was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
556 babies were named Janessa in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Janessa compares
14,722 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,726 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 (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,722 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 556 | 48 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2009
Current rank
#1,570
Active since
1954
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Janessa's total US births 19.4%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1954, Social Security records show 14,722 babies named Janessa. Today it holds rank #1570 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2009, with 556 births.
When was Janessa most popular? ▼
Janessa was most popular in the 2000s decade with 4,712 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Janessa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Janessa are California (2,862 births), Texas (1,182 births), Florida (962 births).
How long has the name Janessa been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Janessa since 1954 -- 72 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Janessa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Janet, Janice, Jane, Janie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Janet Girl
#2435 556,776 births
Janice Girl
#2250 406,448 births
Jane Girl
#269 379,876 births
Janie Girl
#1536 75,598 births
Janelle Girl
#776 56,881 births
Compare Janessa side by side: Janessa vs Janet Janessa vs Janice Janessa vs Jane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Janessa
Nechama #1569
4,030 births · Peak 2022
Keeley #1571
6,692 births · Peak 2007
Dixie #1568
44,621 births · Peak 1938
Hailie #1572
6,565 births · Peak 2003
Daenerys #1567
1,472 births · Peak 2018
Laynie #1573
2,279 births · Peak 2025
Ellowyn #1566
970 births · Peak 2025
Emmarie #1574
2,531 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Janessa: #1570 Girls' Name - 14,722 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/janessa. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.