Is Vanessa a boy or girl name?
Vanessa is a girl name in the US. In 2024, 933 girls and 0 boys were named Vanessa, so 100% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 99.6% of the 261,777 US babies named Vanessa were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Girl rank, 2024
- #335
- Babies named Vanessa since 1900
- 261,777
- Most popular year
- 1985
- 7,606 babies
Boys and girls named Vanessa, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 6 | 100% |
| 1910s | 0 | 35 | 100% |
| 1920s | 0 | 51 | 100% |
| 1930s | 0 | 124 | 100% |
| 1940s | 0 | 295 | 100% |
| 1950s | 48 | 19,170 | 99.8% |
| 1960s | 63 | 20,983 | 99.7% |
| 1970s | 111 | 28,077 | 99.6% |
| 1980s | 456 | 65,728 | 99.3% |
| 1990s | 214 | 57,918 | 99.6% |
| 2000s | 68 | 43,229 | 99.8% |
| 2010s | 24 | 19,597 | 99.9% |
| 2020s | 0 | 5,580 | 100% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | – | 933 | #335 |
| 2023 | 0 | – | 1,012 | #304 |
| 2022 | 0 | – | 1,026 | #311 |
| 2021 | 0 | – | 1,226 | #253 |
| 2020 | 0 | – | 1,383 | #209 |
| 2019 | 0 | – | 1,224 | #272 |
| 2018 | 0 | – | 1,378 | #231 |
| 2017 | 0 | – | 1,521 | #203 |
| 2016 | 0 | – | 1,663 | #197 |
| 2015 | 0 | – | 1,729 | #187 |
| 2014 | 5 | #13,941 | 1,927 | #171 |
| 2013 | 7 | #10,656 | 2,095 | #152 |
| 2012 | 0 | – | 2,553 | #123 |
| 2011 | 6 | #12,190 | 2,620 | #120 |
| 2010 | 6 | #12,121 | 2,887 | #107 |
| 2009 | 0 | – | 3,523 | #91 |
| 2008 | 6 | #12,458 | 4,032 | #78 |
| 2007 | 8 | #9,735 | 4,447 | #71 |
| 2006 | 6 | #11,972 | 4,169 | #79 |
| 2005 | 8 | #9,049 | 4,095 | #80 |
| 2004 | 9 | #8,113 | 4,350 | #75 |
| 2003 | 6 | #10,822 | 4,352 | #70 |
| 2002 | 5 | #12,395 | 4,455 | #68 |
| 2001 | 8 | #8,294 | 4,672 | #64 |
| 2000 | 12 | #5,894 | 5,134 | #62 |
| 1999 | 10 | #6,505 | 5,287 | #57 |
| 1998 | 13 | #5,148 | 5,830 | #52 |
| 1997 | 20 | #3,594 | 5,796 | #54 |
| 1996 | 17 | #4,011 | 5,746 | #60 |
| 1995 | 16 | #4,042 | 5,404 | #63 |
| 1994 | 18 | #3,741 | 5,552 | #59 |
| 1993 | 30 | #2,503 | 5,890 | #55 |
| 1992 | 30 | #2,464 | 6,079 | #55 |
| 1991 | 28 | #2,539 | 5,925 | #56 |
| 1990 | 32 | #2,253 | 6,409 | #56 |
| 1989 | 53 | #1,548 | 6,961 | #50 |
| 1988 | 72 | #1,202 | 7,516 | #41 |
| 1987 | 46 | #1,560 | 7,348 | #43 |
| 1986 | 44 | #1,534 | 7,468 | #43 |
| 1985 | 42 | #1,566 | 7,564 | #42 |
| 1984 | 43 | #1,479 | 7,155 | #45 |
| 1983 | 58 | #1,202 | 6,388 | #49 |
| 1982 | 53 | #1,292 | 6,153 | #49 |
| 1981 | 24 | #2,202 | 4,749 | #62 |
| 1980 | 21 | #2,440 | 4,426 | #69 |
| 1979 | 17 | #2,772 | 4,102 | #75 |
| 1978 | 12 | #3,389 | 3,853 | #76 |
| 1977 | 15 | #2,901 | 3,209 | #90 |
| 1976 | 10 | #3,711 | 2,463 | #106 |
| 1975 | 14 | #2,894 | 2,441 | #115 |
| 1974 | 9 | #3,824 | 2,352 | #122 |
| 1973 | 10 | #3,437 | 2,145 | #134 |
| 1972 | 9 | #3,604 | 2,279 | #133 |
| 1971 | 10 | #3,354 | 2,657 | #129 |
| 1970 | 5 | #5,400 | 2,576 | #138 |
| 1969 | 6 | #4,385 | 2,234 | #147 |
| 1968 | 5 | #4,719 | 1,797 | #181 |
| 1967 | 6 | #3,954 | 1,869 | #170 |
| 1966 | 8 | #3,236 | 1,643 | #197 |
| 1965 | 6 | #3,906 | 1,632 | #203 |
| 1964 | 8 | #3,271 | 2,056 | #183 |
| 1963 | 0 | – | 2,032 | #188 |
| 1962 | 7 | #3,622 | 2,244 | #175 |
| 1961 | 9 | #3,083 | 2,764 | #153 |
| 1960 | 8 | #3,322 | 2,712 | #154 |
| 1959 | 14 | #2,290 | 3,120 | #139 |
| 1958 | 10 | #2,803 | 2,744 | #148 |
| 1957 | 8 | #3,243 | 2,379 | #159 |
| 1956 | 0 | – | 2,617 | #145 |
| 1955 | 7 | #3,487 | 2,698 | #140 |
| 1954 | 9 | #2,934 | 2,643 | #142 |
| 1953 | 0 | – | 2,007 | #164 |
| 1952 | 0 | – | 695 | #303 |
| 1951 | 0 | – | 176 | #657 |
| 1950 | 0 | – | 91 | #943 |
| 1949 | 0 | – | 70 | #1,076 |
| 1948 | 0 | – | 69 | #1,069 |
| 1947 | 0 | – | 59 | #1,181 |
| 1946 | 0 | – | 14 | #2,731 |
| 1945 | 0 | – | 19 | #1,989 |
| 1944 | 0 | – | 13 | #2,617 |
| 1943 | 0 | – | 10 | #3,231 |
| 1942 | 0 | – | 16 | #2,307 |
| 1941 | 0 | – | 11 | #2,832 |
| 1940 | 0 | – | 14 | #2,291 |
| 1939 | 0 | – | 7 | #3,758 |
| 1938 | 0 | – | 15 | #2,212 |
| 1937 | 0 | – | 17 | #1,994 |
| 1936 | 0 | – | 20 | #1,739 |
| 1935 | 0 | – | 32 | #1,304 |
| 1934 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – | 7 | #3,719 |
| 1932 | 0 | – | 9 | #3,256 |
| 1931 | 0 | – | 7 | #3,816 |
| 1930 | 0 | – | 10 | #3,040 |
| 1929 | 0 | – | 5 | #5,231 |
| 1928 | 0 | – | 6 | #4,688 |
| 1927 | 0 | – | 5 | #5,550 |
| 1926 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – | 9 | #3,640 |
| 1924 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – | 9 | #3,623 |
| 1922 | 0 | – | 6 | #4,967 |
| 1921 | 0 | – | 5 | #5,808 |
| 1920 | 0 | – | 6 | #4,929 |
| 1919 | 0 | – | 6 | #4,770 |
| 1918 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – | 6 | #4,556 |
| 1916 | 0 | – | 8 | #3,527 |
| 1915 | 0 | – | 10 | #2,884 |
| 1914 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 0 | – | 5 | #3,667 |
| 1912 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – | 6 | #1,919 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Vanessa reached #1,202 in 1983. As a girl name, it reached #41 in 1988. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1980s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Vanessa
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.