Nessa
Girl name · #2729 in 2025 · Uniqueness 66/100
Nessa ranks #2729 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 63 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3299, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 28,571 girls born in 2025 was named Nessa.
The 90-year story
Nessa first appears in the Social Security records in 1935, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 83 girls were named Nessa — good for #2287 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.
Babies named Nessa per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nessa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nessa in class?
Nessa scores 66 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Nessa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Nessa is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Nessas were TX (8), CA (6), NY (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Nessa
Statistically, parents drawn to Nessa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alessa, Jessa, Issa, Navya, and Noora.
AlessaJessaIssaNavyaNooraHadassaNuraNaina
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nessa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63 | #2719 |
| 2024 | 58 | #2857 |
| 2023 | 54 | #3047 |
| 2022 | 53 | #3073 |
| 2021 | 59 | #2848 |
| 2020 | 53 | #3015 |
| 2019 | 43 | #3552 |
| 2018 | 63 | #2711 |
| 2017 | 74 | #2432 |
| 2016 | 83 | #2287 |
| 2015 | 49 | #3299 |
| 2014 | 32 | #4455 |
| 2013 | 32 | #4422 |
| 2012 | 20 | #6341 |
| 2011 | 37 | #3999 |
| 2010 | 25 | #5414 |
| 2009 | 31 | #4677 |
| 2008 | 28 | #5142 |
| 2007 | 26 | #5377 |
| 2006 | 26 | #5233 |
| 2005 | 31 | #4373 |
| 2004 | 25 | #5062 |
| 2003 | 10 | #9671 |
| 2002 | 19 | #5897 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6322 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nessa a popular girl name?
Nessa ranked #2729 among girls in 2025 with 63 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3299.
When was the name Nessa most popular?
Nessa peaked in 2016, when 83 American girls received the name (ranked #2287 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nessa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 28,571 newborn American girls was named Nessa. It scores 66/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.