Girls' name · since 1920
Vernessa
Vernessa has 881 recorded births since 1920 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8,192 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 881
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
881 girls have been named Vernessa since 1920, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Vernessa has been recorded 881 times among girls since 1920, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 1994.
- #8,192 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 881 born since 1920
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Vernessa ranks #8,192 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 881 born since 1920, peaking in the 1960s.
- #8,192 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 881
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
Vernessa's 881 recorded births place it above 88.67% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
12 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by South Carolina.
Vernessa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Vernessa's SSA record in two at 1970 and the more recent half accounts for 25% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 75%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1920, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1960 peak of 68, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Vernessa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–1994
- Peak year (1960)
- 68
- Annual births at peak, across 75 years of records
Vernessa by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (347 births, 39% of the file).
1960s was Vernessa's strongest decade.
347 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Vernessa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s
1950s
302 births
- 1960s
1960s
347 births
- 1970s
1970s
141 births
- 1980s 61
1980s
61 births
- 1990s 15
1990s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 347 births (39% of all-time use).
How Vernessa 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 Vernessa's total volume
Vernessa by state
Where Vernessa concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | South Carolina | | 43 | 4.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 36 | 4.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 28 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 17 | 1.9% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 17 | 1.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 7 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 7 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Maryland | | 6 | 0.7% |
43 of 881 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Vernessa appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Vernessa? ▼
Where does Vernessa sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Vernessa most popular? ▼
Where is Vernessa most popular? ▼
How long has the name Vernessa been used? ▼
What names are similar to Vernessa? ▼
What to do with Vernessa's data
- Vernessa's decade-level peak was the 1960s (347 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- South Carolina records the most Vernessas (43 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. South Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Vernessa
Nearby Names Like Vernessa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Vernessa
Compare Vernessa side by side: Vernessa vs Veronica Vernessa vs Vera Vernessa vs Verna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Vernessa: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1960)
Similar record span (~74 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, 1920–1994 (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 Vernessa 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.