Vanessa

Jonathan Swift created the name, Vanessa, as a poetic title for Esther Vanhomrigh, a combination of her last name (Van) and her nickname (Hessy). The first use of Vanessa in print is a 1713 poem entitled "Cadenus and Vanessa," in which Vanessa is described as having all of the charms of Venus and Minerva (Pallas). Vanessa is therefore incredibly beautiful (though Pallas mistakes her for a boy), brilliant in mind, wise and virtuous, ignites desire in others, and is herself a flame. In the poem, she seduces her mentor, so teachers should beware Vanessas. Contrary to popular belief, Vanessa is not Greek, nor Latin--it has been used to describe a species of butterfly, but does not itself mean butterfly in either of these languages.