Vanessa
[vəˈnɛsə]Meaning
invented by Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa
Background Story
Jonathan Swift invented Vanessa for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa, rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of his close friend Esther Vanhomrigh. The name was later used for a genus of butterfly. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular. It is used in Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak and Slovene.
Temperament
Related Names
Marylou
Combination of the names Mary and Lou
Azia
Recorded as a feminine given name in English; not documented as a word with a meaning
Belinda
Feminine given name of unknown origin, apparently coined from Italian bella, "beautiful"
Blackie
English and Scottish surname; recorded as a rare American given name
Boo Boo
Brylee
Variant of Briley
Cambrie
A modern American given name; no meaning is documented in the sources checked.
Camilla
Feminine form of the Latin name Camillus
Cashira
Catelyn
No documented meaning in the sources checked