Nessa
Girl name · #2729 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Nessa? In official American birth records, Nessa has been tracked continuously since 1935, giving it 90 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nessa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nessa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nessa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nessa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nessa is most common
State-level data for Nessa is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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
How old is the name Nessa?
In official American birth records, the name Nessa first appeared in 1935 (over 90 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 90 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.