Butterfly
A variant spelling of Vanessa, which was invented by the author Jonathan Swift for his poem 'Cadenus and Vanessa'. He created the name by combining the first syllable of the surname of his friend Esther Vanhomrigh with 'Essa', a pet form of Esther. It was later adopted as the name for a genus of butterflies.
Less common today
Vannessa isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #1,528 in 1991.
American actress, singer, and former Miss America
American actress and singer
Academy Award-winning British actress
The protagonist and powerful medium · Penny Dreadful
Florist and friend of Barry B. Benson · Bee Movie
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
