Janessa
Girl name · #1740 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 117 baby girls were named Janessa, placing it at #1740 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #716, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 15,385 girls born in 2025 was named Janessa.
Babies named Janessa per year. Source: SSA.
The 71-year story
Janessa first appears in the Social Security records in 1954, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2009, when 556 girls were named Janessa — good for #545 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Janessa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Janessa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Janessa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Janessa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Janessa is most common
State-level data for Janessa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Janessa
Statistically, parents drawn to Janessa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Julissa, Jessa, Anessa, Larissa, and Brissa.
JulissaJessaAnessaLarissaBrissaAlissaElyssaArissa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Janessa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117 | #1733 |
| 2024 | 135 | #1568 |
| 2023 | 166 | #1356 |
| 2022 | 206 | #1172 |
| 2021 | 209 | #1169 |
| 2020 | 208 | #1140 |
| 2019 | 227 | #1094 |
| 2018 | 272 | #971 |
| 2017 | 303 | #890 |
| 2016 | 313 | #894 |
| 2015 | 397 | #716 |
| 2014 | 368 | #761 |
| 2013 | 407 | #695 |
| 2012 | 426 | #663 |
| 2011 | 451 | #630 |
| 2010 | 527 | #554 |
| 2009 | 556 | #545 |
| 2008 | 536 | #574 |
| 2007 | 547 | #557 |
| 2006 | 488 | #596 |
| 2005 | 488 | #583 |
| 2004 | 544 | #524 |
| 2003 | 465 | #590 |
| 2002 | 390 | #647 |
| 2001 | 352 | #703 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Janessa a popular girl name?
Janessa ranked #1740 among girls in 2025 with 117 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #716.
When was the name Janessa most popular?
Janessa peaked in 2009, when 556 American girls received the name (ranked #545 that year). Since 2009 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Janessa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 15,385 newborn American girls was named Janessa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.