Fun Facts About the Name Vera
- An established favorite: Vera held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 39 consecutive years, from 1891 through 1929.
- More than 149 thousand babies named Vera: U.S. records list 149,850 babies given the name Vera from 1880 through 2025. Even 398 boys received the name Vera - about 1 boy for every 376 girls.
What Does the Name Vera Mean?
Vera is a female given name with two independent origins. In Russian and other Slavic languages, it comes from the word vera (вера), meaning faith or belief. The same word appears in Old Church Slavonic as věra. This is a literal word name for the theological virtue of faith.
In Latin, vera is the feminine form of verus, meaning true. It was used as an adjective and later as a given name in Western Europe. The Latin name is a literal adjective meaning true, not a religious virtue name.
Vera Name History & Origins
Vera entered Christian naming through the Slavic word for faith. In Eastern Orthodox tradition, Saint Sophia is said to have had three daughters named Faith, Hope, and Love; in Russian they are called Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov. The name Vera was used in Russia and later in other Orthodox countries.
In Western Europe, the name Vera also appeared as a given name, partly from the Latin word for true. By the 19th century, it was in use in English-speaking countries. It is also found in German, Scandinavian, Spanish, and Italian usage. In Spanish, Vera is a place name and surname, but the female given name is separate.
Vera appears in literature, including as a character in Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time (1840) and in Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (1939). It is generally distinct from Veronica, which has a separate origin.
How Popular is the Name Vera?
Vera remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1891 to 1929. Its highest annual birth count was in 1918, and people born that year turn 108 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #205 | 1,482 | 0.0922% |
| 2024 | #226 | 1,351 | 0.0837% |
| 2023 | #223 | 1,333 | 0.0832% |
| 2022 | #224 | 1,339 | 0.0817% |
| 2021 | #229 | 1,310 | 0.0799% |
| 2020 | #246 | 1,221 | 0.0756% |
| 2019 | #253 | 1,284 | 0.0765% |
| 2018 | #257 | 1,264 | 0.0743% |
| 2017 | #280 | 1,160 | 0.0672% |
| 2016 | #308 | 1,059 | 0.0598% |
| 2015 | #310 | 1,054 | 0.0591% |
| 2014 | #365 | 891 | 0.0499% |
| 2013 | #423 | 721 | 0.0411% |
| 2012 | #498 | 615 | 0.0349% |
| 2011 | #512 | 573 | 0.0326% |
| 2010 | #673 | 431 | 0.0242% |
| 2009 | #897 | 306 | 0.0167% |
| 2008 | #1,034 | 254 | 0.0134% |
| 2007 | #1,210 | 208 | 0.0108% |
| 2006 | #1,413 | 161 | 0.0085% |
| 2005 | #1,398 | 154 | 0.0083% |
| 2004 | #1,585 | 125 | 0.0068% |
| 2003 | #1,843 | 101 | 0.0055% |
| 2002 | #1,749 | 104 | 0.0058% |
| 2001 | #1,850 | 96 | 0.0053% |
| 2000 | #1,716 | 103 | 0.0057% |
| 1999 | #2,339 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 1998 | #1,606 | 102 | 0.0058% |
| 1997 | #2,136 | 66 | 0.0038% |
| 1996 | #1,837 | 80 | 0.0046% |
| 1995 | #2,123 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 1994 | #1,646 | 92 | 0.0052% |
| 1993 | #1,528 | 103 | 0.0057% |
| 1992 | #1,574 | 99 | 0.0054% |
| 1991 | #1,573 | 98 | 0.0052% |
| 1990 | #1,531 | 101 | 0.0053% |
| 1989 | #1,434 | 104 | 0.0056% |
| 1988 | #1,476 | 93 | 0.0052% |
| 1987 | #1,298 | 108 | 0.0062% |
| 1986 | #1,232 | 112 | 0.0065% |
| 1985 | #1,127 | 129 | 0.0075% |
| 1984 | #1,097 | 127 | 0.0075% |
| 1983 | #992 | 147 | 0.0088% |
| 1982 | #913 | 166 | 0.0098% |
| 1981 | #919 | 164 | 0.0098% |
| 1980 | #933 | 161 | 0.0097% |
| 1979 | #874 | 177 | 0.0110% |
| 1978 | #891 | 164 | 0.0107% |
| 1977 | #817 | 184 | 0.0120% |
| 1976 | #784 | 183 | 0.0125% |
| 1975 | #686 | 219 | 0.0150% |
| 1974 | #737 | 194 | 0.0132% |
| 1973 | #663 | 225 | 0.0154% |
| 1972 | #618 | 252 | 0.0166% |
| 1971 | #590 | 296 | 0.0178% |
| 1970 | #524 | 365 | 0.0209% |
| 1969 | #520 | 356 | 0.0211% |
| 1968 | #495 | 388 | 0.0237% |
| 1967 | #439 | 461 | 0.0279% |
| 1966 | #441 | 454 | 0.0268% |
| 1965 | #402 | 534 | 0.0303% |
| 1964 | #381 | 639 | 0.0337% |
| 1963 | #358 | 707 | 0.0367% |
| 1962 | #351 | 730 | 0.0371% |
| 1961 | #322 | 862 | 0.0427% |
| 1960 | #314 | 900 | 0.0445% |
| 1959 | #291 | 971 | 0.0480% |
| 1958 | #286 | 976 | 0.0485% |
| 1957 | #269 | 1,050 | 0.0513% |
| 1956 | #245 | 1,150 | 0.0573% |
| 1955 | #236 | 1,170 | 0.0598% |
| 1954 | #231 | 1,219 | 0.0628% |
| 1953 | #231 | 1,192 | 0.0634% |
| 1952 | #239 | 1,090 | 0.0588% |
| 1951 | #231 | 1,111 | 0.0617% |
| 1950 | #227 | 1,112 | 0.0649% |
| 1949 | #221 | 1,114 | 0.0651% |
| 1948 | #216 | 1,149 | 0.0677% |
| 1947 | #213 | 1,218 | 0.0687% |
| 1946 | #200 | 1,206 | 0.0768% |
| 1945 | #179 | 1,143 | 0.0874% |
| 1944 | #184 | 1,188 | 0.0895% |
| 1943 | #180 | 1,266 | 0.0907% |
| 1942 | #174 | 1,317 | 0.0975% |
| 1941 | #170 | 1,266 | 0.1048% |
| 1940 | #159 | 1,322 | 0.1156% |
| 1939 | #153 | 1,411 | 0.1287% |
| 1938 | #156 | 1,412 | 0.1280% |
| 1937 | #150 | 1,496 | 0.1406% |
| 1936 | #142 | 1,513 | 0.1454% |
| 1935 | #124 | 1,813 | 0.1729% |
| 1934 | #127 | 1,837 | 0.1759% |
| 1933 | #121 | 1,865 | 0.1850% |
| 1932 | #121 | 2,023 | 0.1896% |
| 1931 | #111 | 2,161 | 0.2030% |
| 1930 | #104 | 2,491 | 0.2212% |
| 1929 | #99 | 2,549 | 0.2283% |
| 1928 | #92 | 2,842 | 0.2464% |
| 1927 | #89 | 2,942 | 0.2467% |
| 1926 | #84 | 3,152 | 0.2659% |
| 1925 | #86 | 3,280 | 0.2694% |
| 1924 | #85 | 3,476 | 0.2783% |
| 1923 | #82 | 3,375 | 0.2798% |
| 1922 | #79 | 3,510 | 0.2923% |
| 1921 | #76 | 3,631 | 0.2945% |
| 1920 | #75 | 3,785 | 0.3159% |
| 1919 | #65 | 3,848 | 0.3405% |
| 1918 | #68 | 3,923 | 0.3389% |
| 1917 | #66 | 3,714 | 0.3435% |
| 1916 | #66 | 3,622 | 0.3468% |
| 1915 | #65 | 3,460 | 0.3517% |
| 1914 | #68 | 2,683 | 0.3523% |
| 1913 | #68 | 2,209 | 0.3537% |
| 1912 | #68 | 1,974 | 0.3537% |
| 1911 | #67 | 1,510 | 0.3610% |
| 1910 | #71 | 1,346 | 0.3395% |
| 1909 | #67 | 1,242 | 0.3577% |
| 1908 | #68 | 1,204 | 0.3601% |
| 1907 | #69 | 1,152 | 0.3616% |
| 1906 | #68 | 1,083 | 0.3667% |
| 1905 | #71 | 1,053 | 0.3611% |
| 1904 | #71 | 993 | 0.3606% |
| 1903 | #75 | 899 | 0.3432% |
| 1902 | #73 | 947 | 0.3586% |
| 1901 | #73 | 860 | 0.3593% |
| 1900 | #76 | 1,024 | 0.3416% |
| 1899 | #69 | 864 | 0.3708% |
| 1898 | #73 | 876 | 0.3385% |
| 1897 | #73 | 776 | 0.3313% |
| 1896 | #81 | 675 | 0.2837% |
| 1895 | #77 | 729 | 0.3120% |
| 1894 | #86 | 618 | 0.2772% |
| 1893 | #91 | 534 | 0.2508% |
| 1892 | #99 | 486 | 0.2289% |
| 1891 | #98 | 426 | 0.2297% |
| 1890 | #103 | 393 | 0.2064% |
| 1889 | #122 | 313 | 0.1755% |
| 1888 | #132 | 263 | 0.1472% |
| 1887 | #151 | 167 | 0.1144% |
| 1886 | #148 | 167 | 0.1155% |
| 1885 | #166 | 124 | 0.0932% |
| 1884 | #197 | 91 | 0.0705% |
| 1883 | #193 | 77 | 0.0686% |
| 1882 | #204 | 67 | 0.0621% |
| 1881 | #226 | 48 | 0.0522% |
| 1880 | #225 | 48 | 0.0528% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | #4,590 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1959 | #3,276 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #3,917 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #3,778 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #4,234 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1943 | #3,525 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1942 | #3,197 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1941 | #2,483 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1940 | #3,442 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1939 | #2,044 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1937 | #1,684 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1936 | #3,529 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1935 | #1,832 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1934 | #2,953 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1933 | #1,987 | 14 | 0.0014% |
| 1932 | #2,187 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1931 | #2,462 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1930 | #2,287 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1929 | #1,997 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1928 | #1,702 | 21 | 0.0019% |
| 1927 | #2,187 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1926 | #4,798 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #2,582 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1924 | #2,220 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1923 | #2,929 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1922 | #3,237 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1921 | #3,499 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1920 | #2,950 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1919 | #3,106 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1918 | #2,690 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1917 | #2,719 | 10 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #2,040 | 15 | 0.0017% |
| 1915 | #3,806 | 6 | 0.0007% |
| 1914 | #2,443 | 9 | 0.0014% |
| 1913 | #2,262 | 8 | 0.0016% |
| 1911 | #1,727 | 6 | 0.0027% |
| 1910 | #1,825 | 5 | 0.0026% |
| 1908 | #1,208 | 7 | 0.0045% |
| 1907 | #1,335 | 6 | 0.0041% |
| 1906 | #997 | 8 | 0.0060% |
| 1897 | #1,051 | 6 | 0.0053% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Vera
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Vera Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fixed in your opinions, firm in your friendships and square in your dealings with others. You are an excellent worker. Since you are both possessive and emotional, you can be either very practical or very impractical and unpredictable. Your dual nature needs to become steadfast. You are the marrying kind. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Vera's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Vera's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.