At a Glance
- Origin
- English (literary coinage, 18th century)
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- vah-NESS-ah
Vanessa is an English (literary coinage, 18th century) girl's name.
Meaning & Origin of Vanessa
Origin: English (literary coinage, 18th century).
A common claim: Vanessa is widely said to mean 'butterfly.' Actually: Vanessa doesn't etymologically mean 'butterfly' -- the name came first (coined by Swift), and the butterfly genus Vanessa was named after it later, not the other way around.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Vanessa
vah-NESS-ahIPA /vəˈnɛsə/
