from the vc.info "did you know page"
...0,2331% of all baby girls born in the US in 2001 were named Vanessa? The name Vanessa was invented by author Jonathan Swift. He arrived at it by rearranging the initial syllables of the first name and surname of Esther Vanhomrigh, his close friend. Vanessa was later used as the name of a genus of butterfly.
thats cool... we read a little bit of swift in our english lit class.. you know, the guy who wanted to cut up babies and eat them. or maybe not =)[/i]