girl's name
Verna
VUR-nuh
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 69,725
Verna means springtime, from the Latin for spring — and our data marks it reviving, though from a low base at 3464th in the United States on a 1918 peak of 1,885. It holds 69,638 lifetime births in our records.
- Verna is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 1,885 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 75,352 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Verna over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,057 |
| 1890s | 3,036 |
| 1900s | 4,783 |
| 1910s | 13,304 |
| 1920s | 16,419 |
| 1930s | 10,682 |
| 1940s | 7,922 |
| 1950s | 6,210 |
| 1960s | 3,384 |
| 1970s | 1,177 |
| 1980s | 537 |
| 1990s | 334 |
| 2000s | 293 |
| 2010s | 313 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 187 |
What Verna means
Verna means springtime, or born in spring. The Latin vernus is the adjective for the season, so the name locates a birth in the year rather than describing a quality.
Where Verna comes from
Verna is from the Latin vernus, of the spring, and behind it ver, the season itself — the same root as vernal, as in the vernal equinox. A separate Latin verna means a slave born in the household, and the two words are unrelated despite looking identical; the name takes the season. Verna belongs to the same late-Victorian American fashion that produced Verda, Vernice and the masculine Vernon, which is a Norman place name and unconnected.
Verna in use
Verna peaked in the United States in 1918, when 1,885 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 3,464th in the United States on 44 births, across 69,725 lifetime births. As with several names in this group the revival is from a low base, so the absolute figure is worth reading alongside the direction.
How popular is Verna?
In 2025, Verna was given to 44 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Verna is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Verna
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Verna also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Verna over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Verna in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Verna
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Verna — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Verna
What does the name Verna mean?
Springtime — the Latin vernus, of the spring.
Is Verna related to Vernon?
No. Vernon is a Norman place name meaning a place of alders, and the two are unconnected.
Is vernal the same word?
Yes — as in the vernal equinox.
Is Verna coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, though from a low base of 34 births.
How popular is the name Verna?
In 2025, Verna was given to 44 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Verna a girl's or a boy's name?
Verna is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Verna?
Verna has 2 syllables.
When was Verna most popular?
Verna peaked in 1918, when 1,885 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Verna a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Verna currently ranks #3,464 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.