Total births
6,539
Girls' name · since 1953
Vanesa
Since 1953, U.S. Social Security records show 6,539 babies named Vanesa, peaking in 2002. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5331
- among girls today
- 6,539
- born since 1953
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other girls
6,539 babies have been named Vanesa since 1953, making it today's #5331 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Vanesa recorded 6,539 times among girls since 1953, holding rank #5331 nationally today, ahead of 70% 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 1953 to 2025.
- #5331 among girls today
- 6,539 born since 1953
- 2000s peak decade
- 70% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Vanesa is currently the #5331 girls' name in America, more common than 70% of girls - 6,539 born since 1953, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5331
- among girls today
- 6,539
- born since 1953
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other girls
Vanesa vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5331
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 70% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Vanesa was born in this single decade.
2002
Single peak year
271 babies were named Vanesa in 2002 - its busiest year on record.
How Vanesa compares
6,539 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Vanesa's all-time total is 17x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Vanesa | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,539 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 271 | 48 | 19,840 |
Vanesa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Vanesa's SSA record in two at 1989 and the more recent half accounts for 79% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 21%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1954, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2002 peak of 271, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Vanesa at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2002
Current rank
#5,331
Active since
1953
Vanesa popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1953–2025
- Peak year (2002)
- 271
- Annual births at peak, across 73 years of records
Vanesa popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1985 (Vanesa as boys' name)
Vanesa by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Vanesa's strongest decade.
2,216 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Vanesa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 63
1950s
63 births
- 1960s 120
1960s
120 births
- 1970s 274
1970s
274 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,064 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,945 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,216 births
- 2010s 710
2010s
710 births
- 2020s 147
2020s
147 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 2,216 births (34% of all-time use).
How Vanesa 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 Vanesa's total volume
Vanesa vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Vanesa by state
Where Vanesa concentrates geographically, total births since 1953
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,880 | 28.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 826 | 12.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 359 | 5.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 356 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 270 | 4.1% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 148 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 132 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 112 | 1.7% |
California share of Vanesa's total US births 28.8%
Even split
1,880 of 6,539 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Vanesa appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Vanesa? ▼
Vanesa has been given to 6,539 babies in the U.S. since 1953, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #5331 as of the latest data. 271 babies were born in 2002, its single highest year.
When was Vanesa most popular? ▼
Vanesa was most popular in the 2000s decade with 2,216 total births. The single peak year was 2002.
Where is Vanesa most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Vanesa are California (1,880 births), Texas (826 births), Illinois (359 births).
How long has the name Vanesa been used? ▼
Records for Vanesa go back to 1953, giving 73 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Vanesa? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Vanessa, Vannessa, Vania, Vanita, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Vanesa's data
- Vanesa's decade-level peak was the 2000s (2,216 total births); usage has since declined to 147 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Vanesas (1,880 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 Vanesa
Nearby Names Like Vanesa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Vanesa
Vanessa Girl
#335 261,622 births
Vannessa Girl
3,231 births
Vania Girl
#2828 2,992 births
Vanita Girl
2,056 births
Vanna Girl
#3765 2,009 births
Compare Vanesa side by side: Vanesa vs Vanessa Vanesa vs Vannessa Vanesa vs Vania
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Vanesa
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, 1953–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Vanesa: #5331 Girls' Name - 6,539 Births, Peak 2002." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/vanesa. 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 Vanesa 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.