Christian Pure

Vanessa Is Not in the Bible — but Half of It Is Esther

Christian Pure Team

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Summary

  • Vanessa is not in the Bible and has no etymology: Jonathan Swift invented it in 1726 for his poem Cadenus and Vanessa, by rearranging the opening syllables of his friend Esther Vanhomrigh’s names.
  • The second half of the name is Esther — who has a book of her own in Scripture.
  • Esther enters the king’s throne room uninvited, which was punishable by death, after Mordecai tells her plainly that God will deliver his people either way: “if you remain silent at this time… you and your father’s family will perish” (Esther 4:14).
  • Scripture lets her hesitate before she says “If I perish, I perish.”
  • The book of Esther never mentions God — no miracle, no prophet, no voice from heaven. It was included for everyone who has had to act without a sign.

Vanessa is not in the Bible — but half of it was taken from a woman who is. This is one of the very few names in the world whose inventor, date and reason we know exactly. Jonathan Swift made it up in 1726, for a poem, out of the name of his friend Esther Vanhomrigh: the Van of her surname and the Essa of her first name, which was Esther. What does the name Vanessa mean? Strictly, nothing. It…

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Bibliography (Click to show)

Sources: Behind the Name entry for Vanessa (invented by Jonathan Swift for his 1726 poem Cadenus and Vanessa, from the name of Esther Vanhomrigh); Scripture quotations from the NIV via BibleGateway (Esther 4:14, 4:16).

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