Fun Facts About the Name Anessa
- More than 2 thousand babies named Anessa: U.S. records list 2,876 babies given the name Anessa from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Anessa Mean?
Anessa is a feminine given name used chiefly in English-speaking countries. It is most often explained as a spelling variant of Anisa (also written Anissa or Aneesa), an Arabic name formed from ʾanīs, which means "friendly," "sociable," or "close companion." The Arabic feminine form أنيسة (Anīsa) comes from the root ʾ-n-s, which carries the idea of companionship and good company; the matching masculine name is Anīs. The spelling Anessa places an e in the second syllable, one of several ways this Arabic name is written in English.
Some naming references instead tie Anessa to Agnes, the older name from Greek hagnē, "pure" or "chaste." That connection is not documented for Anessa itself and seems to rest only on the shared -nes- element, so it is better treated as an uncertain suggestion than as an established second meaning.
Anessa Name History & Origins
Anessa stands at the English-language end of a transliteration chain rather than at the start of one. The Arabic name Anisa has a long history as a woman's name in the Arab world and in Muslim communities, and like other Arabic names it appears in English in several spellings at once - Anisa, Anissa, Aneesa, and Anessa among them. The vowels and doubled consonants differ because the Arabic spelling is transferred by sound, not by a single fixed rule, and each English form simply reflects a different choice of letters.
The ending -essa also occurs in names that have nothing to do with Anisa. Vanessa was devised by the Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift in the 1720s, and Larissa descends from an ancient Greek city and a figure in Greek myth. Anessa's resemblance to those names is a matter of shared sound and spelling, not shared origin, and the same is true of Agnes-based forms such as the Russian Agnessa. Anessa itself remains uncommon in English-speaking countries and is not attached to a single prominent bearer or event that explains its use.
How Popular is the Name Anessa?
Anessa has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2007. Its best rank was #1,564 in 2002.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,178 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2024 | #3,955 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 2023 | #4,878 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2022 | #4,680 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2021 | #3,803 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #4,180 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 2019 | #3,394 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2018 | #3,348 | 47 | 0.0028% |
| 2017 | #3,097 | 52 | 0.0030% |
| 2016 | #3,104 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 2015 | #3,060 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 2014 | #2,742 | 63 | 0.0035% |
| 2013 | #2,872 | 59 | 0.0034% |
| 2012 | #3,101 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 2011 | #3,270 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2010 | #2,405 | 78 | 0.0044% |
| 2009 | #1,935 | 108 | 0.0059% |
| 2008 | #2,122 | 95 | 0.0050% |
| 2007 | #1,726 | 126 | 0.0066% |
| 2006 | #1,692 | 124 | 0.0065% |
| 2005 | #2,058 | 91 | 0.0049% |
| 2004 | #1,781 | 107 | 0.0058% |
| 2003 | #1,897 | 96 | 0.0053% |
| 2002 | #1,564 | 119 | 0.0066% |
| 2001 | #2,262 | 71 | 0.0039% |
| 2000 | #2,509 | 60 | 0.0033% |
| 1999 | #2,182 | 69 | 0.0039% |
| 1998 | #2,246 | 63 | 0.0036% |
| 1997 | #2,392 | 55 | 0.0032% |
| 1996 | #2,343 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 1995 | #2,458 | 52 | 0.0030% |
| 1994 | #2,432 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1993 | #2,152 | 62 | 0.0034% |
| 1992 | #3,777 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1991 | #3,822 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1990 | #3,527 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1989 | #3,481 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1988 | #3,588 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1987 | #3,259 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1986 | #4,357 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1985 | #3,086 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1984 | #3,617 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1983 | #5,164 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #4,034 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1981 | #5,587 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1980 | #4,156 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #3,244 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 1978 | #2,864 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1977 | #2,424 | 36 | 0.0023% |
| 1976 | #2,389 | 34 | 0.0023% |
| 1975 | #2,814 | 26 | 0.0018% |
| 1974 | #2,619 | 28 | 0.0019% |
| 1973 | #2,508 | 29 | 0.0020% |
| 1972 | #2,225 | 34 | 0.0022% |
| 1971 | #1,875 | 46 | 0.0028% |
| 1970 | #1,904 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 1969 | #1,929 | 42 | 0.0025% |
| 1968 | #2,486 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1967 | #3,089 | 17 | 0.0010% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Anessa
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with A
How the Name Anessa Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Anessa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Anessa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.