Vanessa

Vanessa was born on a page. Jonathan Swift invented it in 1713 for his friend Esther Vanhomrigh, splicing the first syllable of her surname with a nickname, and the name escaped the poem into the wider world. Three fluid syllables with a satin finish, va-NESS-a, a name that peaked in America during the 1980s and 90s alongside Vanessa Williams and Vanessa Redgrave. It has eased into quieter territory now, which only burnishes its appeal. The sound carries a faint perfume of old Hollywood and literary salons, sophisticated without trying. Vanessa suits a girl with dark eyes and a considered laugh.