Janessa is a modern American blend of Jan or Janet with Vanessa, so it borrows its meaning from Jane, "God is gracious". It emerged in the 1970s and 1980s when elaborated J names were in style, and it still sounds smooth and feminine. Janessa stood at number 686 in the United States in 2000, peaked at number 524 in 2004 and has since slid out of the top 1000 to number 1741 among girls' names in 2025.