God is gracious; butterfly
A modern American invention, Shanessa likely combines the prefix 'Sha' with the name Vanessa. It draws its roots from the Hebrew name John, meaning 'God is gracious', and the Greek-derived Vanessa, which is associated with a genus of butterflies.
Fewer than 5 girls were named Shanessa in 2025.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
