fem. Invented by author Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa. So, the girls’ name Vanessa began as Jonathan Swift’s pet name for his girlfriend (or not-quite-girlfriend). proper name, also the name of a butterfly genus. As the name of a genus of butterflies that includes the Red Admiral and the Painted Lady, it dates to 1808, chosen by Danish entomologist Johan Christian Fabricius (1745-1808) for unknown reasons. proper name, also the name of a butterfly genus. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa is a feminine given name, especially popular in the United States, Germany and Brazil. It was a rare given name until the mid-20th century, at which point it became fairly popular. The name was created by taking "Van" from Vanhomrigh's last name and adding "Essa", a pet form of Esther. It appears to have been coined by Swift c. 1711 as a pseudonym for Esther Vanhomrigh, who was romantically attached to him, and composed of elements of her name. He has no obvious connection to Swift, and the theory that it was intended for *Phanessa, from Greek phanes "a mystical divinity in the Orphic system" does no honor to his classical learning. As a name, not much used in U.S. before 1950. Vanessa . He used it in private correspondence and published it in the poem "Cadenus and Vanessa" (1713). It appears to have been coined by Swift c. 1711 as a pseudonym for Esther Vanhomrigh, who was romantically attached to him, and composed of elements of her name. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly. fem. It was invented by the Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh, whom Swift had met in 1708 and whom he tutored. As a name, not much used in U.S. before 1950.