Vanessa

Vanessa is a name with a sweet, storybook quality to it. It's actually a literary invention by author Jonathan Swift, first used in the 18th century. The name was created for a poem called 'Cadenus and Vanessa' and has taken flight ever since, quite literally—Vanessa is also the name of a genus of butterflies. Popularity-wise, Vanessa experienced a strong surge in the latter half of the 20th century and remains a well-loved choice. It also comes with a variety of nicknames like Ness, Nessa, or Vee.