US Popularity Rank: 11911

Origin: British

Meaning: Literary invention; Butterfly

Help baby take flight from the start with the name Vanesia. This feminine name has English roots, acting as a fun spin on the name Vanessa. While this may be best known as the name for a genus of butterflies, this name was actually invented by Gulliver’s Travels author Jonathan Swift. Back in the early 18th century, Swift wrote the poem Cadenus and Vanessa as a way to tell the story of him and his lover, Esther Vanhomrigh. Taking parts of her first and last name, he created the name Vanessa and unknowingly created a popular name with a variety of spelling variants. If you want to encourage baby to be a similar type of trailblazer, Vanesia is sure to get the inspiration flowing.