So my DH is totally stuck on this name. He doesn’t even want to talk about any other girls names now! He thinks it’s a perfect name if we end up having a girl. He says it’s a great name because it’s a vintage name with a modern feel. I have always liked the name, but I’m not sure that I’m ready to lock this one down. We still have a while until the due date. I know it got mixed reviews when I posted my list earlier. In real life, it’s getting positive feedback so far unlike some of the other girl names I like. What do you really think of this name? Should I let DH have his #1 choice or keep looking?
I like it, it’s not used much any more and it’s got a cute nickname [name]Essie[/name]. Unfortunately we can’t use it for our little one, but if we could it would definitely be on my list.
I like [name]Vanessa[/name]. There are a couple things that bother me about it, particularly its lack of history and nicknames. Those are just my particular quirks, though. I tend to be a nicknamer when it comes to girls, and [name]Vanessa[/name] doesn’t lend itself to anything I like. As for its history, it was invented by [name]Jonathan[/name] Swift for his poem ‘Cadenus and [name]Vanessa[/name]’ in 1726. It was a rearranging of the initial syllables of the first name and surname of his close friend, [name]Esther[/name] Vanhomrigh. As such, it doesn’t really have a meaning, unlike other invented names (like [name]Shakespeare[/name]'s [name]Miranda[/name]) based on existing names or words. It is often listed as meaning butterfly, but the name was invented and then later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. [name]Vanessa[/name] was rarely used as a given name until the mid 1900s. Most people would neither know nor care about any of that, though. 
All in all, it has a pleasing sound, and is easy to spell and pronounce.
I would most definitely not stop looking if you are not 100% sold on it. You never know, you may stumble across a name that you both love.
(There is a character on Disney’s [name]Phineas[/name] and Ferb named [name]Vanessa[/name] Doofenshmirtz that might give the name a little bit of a cool edge among kids.)
I really like [name]Vanessa[/name], it’s classy and elegant yet familiar:)
I really like the name [name]Vanessa[/name]! It’s cute and edgier on a teenager, and it’ll age well I have a few friends named [name]Vanessa[/name], they go by [name]Nessa[/name], [name]Nessie[/name] + [name]Essa[/name], if that helps? Also, [name]Nessa[/name] is an actual Irish name, if you want something similar to [name]Vanessa[/name] without naming her [name]Vanessa[/name].
Thank you for such detailed feedback! We like the nickname [name]Essie[/name], so nicknames are not a problem. Also, the history and meaning doesn’t bother me so much because the way I look at it is all the names were invented at some point or another. The only difference is that we can’t trace older names to their beginning as we can with [name]Vanessa[/name].
Thanks for pointing out the [name]Phineas[/name] and Ferb connection. I’ll have to check it out. 
You’re welcome! With all that being said, if the husband came home today saying that [name]Vanessa[/name] was THE name for him, I think I could happily use it, especially after you pointed out [name]Essie[/name] as a nickname. That is rather sweet. The ties to poetry and nature outweigh the lacking meaning, at least in my book. [name]Happy[/name] naming!
I like [name]Vanessa[/name]. It’s fun and ages well.
I like [name]Vanessa[/name] too. [name]Veronica[/name] is edgier, I think. Not that they have anything to do with each other other than the V.
I can’t really think of other names that strike me as similar to [name]Vanessa[/name]. Can anyone else?
While slightly dated, I generally do like it. It is easy to spell, pretty sounding, not overly popular, but recognizable. [name]Essie[/name] is a cute nn for a child. And you can definitely visualize a teenager to adult woman carrying [name]Vanessa[/name] quite well.
I don’t mean to sound ignorant, but what does it mean when someone says that the name is dated? This is the 2nd time I’m hearing this term on nameberry, but I’m not quite sure what it means. Is dated the same as outdated?
I think it is pretty, but would never use it myself.
It just means out of style or old fashioned (not in a good way). It usually means it is associated with another decade.
Well of course I love [name]Vanessa[/name] since I named my daughter who was born in 2012 [name]Vanessa[/name] [name]Rose[/name]. I agree with your husband about the name being vintage with a modern feel. I love that all the famous women with this name are beautiful and talented. I love that the name is underused yet familiar. I love that there is only one way to pronounce it. As far as the dated aspect. I think everyone has their own definition of what is dated. Personally, I don’t think [name]Vanessa[/name] is at all dated. I think what classifies a name as dated is 1) a quick rise to fame and a sharp fall after it peaks or 2) a name that is very popular during a particular time - top 10 or 20 most popular. [name]Vanessa[/name] doesn’t fit into either category. It has been in the top 200 for 60 years (since 1953) and in the top 100 for over 3 decades (from 1977-2009) that is very respectable! Moreover, it’s peak at #41 in 1988 wasn’t even high enough to consider it a generation defining name. In that year, there were approximately 7,000 [name]Vanessa[/name]'s born in the US and approximately 65,000 Jennifers. With that logic in mind, I wouldn’t categorize this name as dated, but rather an underused modern classic. The name is in a natural decline after many years in the top 100. It is currently at #118, which clearly means that there are plenty of parents using it for their baby girls who don’t think it’s dated. I don’t see it leaving the top 1000 anytime soon if ever. With that said, I think both you and your husband have to love the name. You still have lots of time before you have to sign that birth certificate. [name]Do[/name] some more work to figure out what you really like.
I like it. I know a first grader named [name]Vanessa[/name] and a co-worker in her late 30s named [name]Vanessa[/name]…fits both of them so nicely! I say go for it!
And to expand: [name]Elizabeth[/name] would be considered a classic name because it has been constantly popular. You could picture a 90 or 2 year old [name]Elizabeth[/name]. [name]Britney[/name] might be considered a dated name because it was super popular in 80’s and 90’s and not so much now.
And to answer the question. I think [name]Vanessa[/name] is a nice name.
I like [name]Vanessa[/name] for precisely it’s “dated”-ness. It’s not so common any more. Back when, it seemed like there were so many [name]Melissa[/name], [name]Vanessa[/name], [name]Valerie[/name], etc. Now not so much, and I find it a nice antidote to the sometimes over-frilly seeming [name]Olivia[/name]-type names. If you and hubby both love it, it’s perfect!
Beautiful name
I love it. It’s on my list too (with the nn [name]Nessa[/name]), but then I don’t care about the dated issue. [name]Vanessa[/name] is beautiful.
Thank you for your informative response! I love both your daughters’ names! I guess we have a similar taste in names. Now that I understand what the term “dated” means, I have to say that I never thought [name]Vanessa[/name] was a name tied to particular time to begin with, but now that I know the stats (wow! top 200 for 60 years!), I feel confident that it being dated is a non-issue. If anything, I would rather give my child a name that was more popular in different decade than one that is trendy now. The cooler and fresher a name feels now, the more outdated and tired it’ll eventually sound. I think [name]Vanessa[/name] manages to avoid all trends, and in the long-run it will feel more timeless than a lot of the names that are being used today.