Nessa
Girl · NES-a · Irish
Nessa is a girls' name of Irish origin. In 2025 it ranked 1,570th for girls in the UK (20 babies) and 2,719th for girls in the US (63 babies).
What does Nessa mean?
Irish: from Irish Neasa; also a short form of Vanessa and Agnes
In Irish legend Neasa, or Nessa, is the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster.
- Say it
- NES-a
More on Wiktionary.
Is Nessa a girl's or a boy's name?
Nessa is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 20 girls in the UK and 63 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Nessa in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,570among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 20about 1 in 14,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 62% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 20 girls in the UK were named Nessa, making it the 1,570th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,864th.
It has been given to more girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had the most girls named Nessa of any year since it first appeared, in 2005.
Half of all the girls named Nessa in the UK since 1996 were born between 2015 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,719th in England and Wales and 397th in Northern Ireland.
Nessa in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | #1,570 |
| 2024 | 10 | #2,644 |
| 2023 | 9 | #2,841 |
| 2022 | 3 | #5,885 |
| 2021 | 7 | #3,338 |
| 2020 | 16 | #1,864 |
| 2019 | 4 | #4,904 |
| 2018 | 4 | #4,914 |
| 2017 | 1 | #7,682 |
| 2016 | 10 | #2,692 |
| 2015 | 11 | #2,458 |
| 2014 | 7 | #3,321 |
| 2013 | 9 | #2,796 |
| 2012 | 3 | #6,108 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 3 | #5,415 |
| 2006 | 1 | #6,685 |
| 2005 | 1 | #6,340 |
How popular is Nessa in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,719among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 63about 1 in 26,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 63 girls in the US were named Nessa, making it the 2,719th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,015th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 83 girls. It first appears in the records in 1935.
It has been given to more girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had more girls named Nessa than any year since 2018.
Half of all the girls named Nessa in the US since 1880 were born between 1999 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nessa in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63 | #2,719 |
| 2024 | 58 | #2,857 |
| 2023 | 54 | #3,047 |
| 2022 | 53 | #3,073 |
| 2021 | 59 | #2,848 |
| 2020 | 53 | #3,015 |
| 2019 | 43 | #3,551 |
| 2018 | 63 | #2,710 |
| 2017 | 74 | #2,432 |
| 2016 | 83 | #2,287 |
| 2015 | 49 | #3,299 |
| 2014 | 32 | #4,453 |
| 2013 | 32 | #4,420 |
| 2012 | 20 | #6,338 |
| 2011 | 37 | #3,998 |
| 2010 | 25 | #5,412 |
| 2009 | 31 | #4,676 |
| 2008 | 28 | #5,140 |
| 2007 | 26 | #5,374 |
| 2006 | 26 | #5,232 |
| 2005 | 31 | #4,369 |
| 2004 | 25 | #5,058 |
| 2003 | 10 | #9,666 |
| 2002 | 19 | #5,892 |
| 2001 | 17 | #6,317 |
| 2000 | 12 | #8,020 |
| 1999 | 17 | #5,890 |
| 1998 | 14 | #6,714 |
| 1997 | 6 | #12,065 |
| 1996 | 11 | #7,569 |
| 1995 | 11 | #7,509 |
| 1994 | 17 | #5,440 |
| 1993 | 17 | #5,413 |
| 1992 | 17 | #5,477 |
| 1991 | 15 | #5,943 |
| 1990 | 14 | #6,125 |
| 1989 | 11 | #6,949 |
| 1988 | 9 | #7,686 |
| 1987 | 18 | #4,471 |
| 1986 | 11 | #6,153 |
| 1985 | 9 | #6,952 |
| 1984 | 5 | #10,417 |
| 1983 | 8 | #7,310 |
| 1982 | 6 | #9,235 |
| 1981 | 13 | #5,253 |
| 1980 | 15 | #4,742 |
| 1979 | 8 | #7,311 |
| 1978 | 11 | #5,562 |
| 1977 | 8 | #6,890 |
| 1976 | 14 | #4,361 |
| 1975 | 9 | #5,982 |
| 1974 | 7 | #6,898 |
| 1973 | 5 | #8,421 |
| 1972 | 5 | #8,290 |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 6 | #7,069 |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 6 | #6,008 |
| 1963 | 6 | #5,890 |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 6 | #4,649 |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 5 | #4,347 |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 5 | #4,202 |
Names like Nessa
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Safa Ayla Ayra Hafsa Amira Orla Amara Khadija Mila Nova Lyra Raya
Names related to Nessa
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