[name]Love[/name] this site and wish I had your help when my darling was born 2 years ago. [name]Long[/name] story short, I have occasional twinges of namer’s remorse myself. (Though “[name]Vanessa[/name]” does seem to suit her well.) So I want to make all the more sure to “get it right” this second time. Can you help me with finding a name to go with [name]Vanessa[/name]'s? Many thanks!
I think [name]Vanessa[/name] is very pretty! 
I can see [name]Vanessa[/name] with similarly feminine, (at least slightly) exotic sounding names like:
[name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]
[name]Camille[/name]
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Emilia[/name]
[name]Francesca[/name]
[name]Georgiana[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Marielle[/name]
[name]Mariana[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Mirabelle[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Scarlett[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name] (V theme, though)
Good luck!
[name]Vanessa[/name]'s such a cute name, i know a few Vanessas that go by Ness:)
[name]Vanessa[/name] and
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Annora[/name]
[name]Berenice[/name]
[name]Cecelia[/name]
[name]Christina[/name]
[name]Katharine[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Georgina[/name]
[name]Marion[/name]
[name]Harriet[/name]
[name]Olivia[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Jennifer[/name]
[name]Sarah[/name]
[name]Juliette[/name]
[name]Lillian[/name]
[name]Loretta[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Nicole[/name]
[name]Romilly[/name]
[name]Rosalind[/name]
Sabriel
[name]Valerie[/name]
[name]Avril[/name]
[name]Cassandra[/name]
[name]Calista[/name]
[name]Melanie[/name]
[name]Jillian[/name]
And boys
[name]Finlay[/name]
[name]Alistair[/name]
[name]Barnaby[/name]
[name]Albert[/name]
[name]Elliot[/name]
[name]Afton[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Leonard[/name]
[name]William[/name]
[name]Edward[/name]
[name]Charles[/name]
[name]Harper[/name]
I like [name]Vanessa[/name]. It’s pretty in an understated way, sweet and simple. It sounds friendly, well-liked, and well-rounded.
Here are some names that I think have a similar feel and would match nicely.
Boys:
[name]Aaron[/name]
[name]Frederick[/name]
[name]Peter[/name]
[name]Charles[/name]
Girls:
[name]Erica[/name]
[name]Monica[/name]
[name]Lauren[/name]
[name]Claire[/name]
Oops! I forgot the boys’ names!
[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Charles[/name]
[name]Edward[/name]
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Hugo[/name]
[name]Jude[/name]
[name]James[/name]
[name]Milo[/name]
[name]Nicholas[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Peter[/name]
[name]Roman[/name]
[name]Sebastian[/name]
[name]William[/name]
[name]Xavier[/name]
I can picture both classic and slightly exotic/romantic names with [name]Vanessa[/name].
Good luck!
Oh, I’m sorry! But it is a pretty name, and you can always call her [name]Van[/name] or [name]Nessa[/name] or something! Something to go with her name:
[name]Adrianne[/name]
[name]Audrina[/name]
Edolie
[name]Georgina[/name]*
[name]Gillian[/name]*
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]*
[name]Lorena[/name]
[name]Marissa[/name]
[name]Melody[/name]
[name]Rosalind[/name]
[name]Selina[/name]
[name]Tiffany[/name]
[name]Edison[/name]
[name]Elliott[/name]
[name]Garrison[/name]
[name]Harrison[/name]
[name]Nicolas[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Zaidin[/name]
Good luck!
Thanks to all of you for your kind words and great suggestions. Feeling better about our choice for the first one and a little less overwhelmed about naming the second one. You ladies are the best.
My suggestions with [name]Vanessa[/name] - (sorry for repeats)
Girls-
[name]Anastasia[/name]
[name]Carina[/name]
[name]Calista[/name]
[name]Eliana[/name]
[name]Ione[/name] - eye-OH-nee
[name]Juliana[/name]
[name]Leonie[/name]
[name]Rhiannon[/name]
[name]Sidonie[/name]
Boys-
[name]Camden[/name]
[name]Donovan[/name]
[name]Dominic[/name]
[name]Ezekiel[/name]
[name]Gabriel[/name]
[name]Julian[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Simon[/name]
I’m sorry to hear that you are somewhat regretting your decision. I have to tell you, though, that my name is [name]Vanessa[/name], and [name]LOVE[/name] it. I have only met a handful of other [name]Vanessa[/name]'s my whole life, I get complements on it on a regular basis, and my husband thinks it’s a sexy name! I’ve never really had a nickname, though.
I will point out, too, that [name]Vanessa[/name] is a genus of [name]Butterfly[/name], and butterflies have always been an inspiration for me. I have really taken to heart that they overcome a slow, earth-bound experience to metamorphose into a gorgeous creature of flight. It gives me hope in tough times.
As for siblings, I think going with a name that is equally strong, uncommon, but not strange. Ideas:
Boy:
[name]Nicholas[/name]
[name]Grant[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name] (really common, but shares other attributes)
[name]Nathaniel[/name]
Girls:
[name]Gretchen[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name]
I’m sorry - I’m having trouble thinking this morning. I’ll repost if I come up with more! I’m thinking something timeless, classic, long and feminine.