Vernica
Russian feminine name derived from "vera" meaning faith, truth, or belief.
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the first name Vernica. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vernica today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vernica births was 1975 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vernica. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
132
~ 1 in 2,596,624 Americans
Peak year
1975
10 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1989 SSA rank
#10,811
Tracked since 1962
Census
Vernica in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 219 people with the first name Vernica, which placed it at #36,320 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#36,320
National first-name rank
People counted
219
219 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
50.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vernica
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Vernica is Black at 50.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.1%) and White (13.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Vernica described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Vernica at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American50.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino30.1% · 66
- White13.2% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Popularity
Vernica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vernica from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 62 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vernica by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Vernica during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vernica
The given name Vernica has its origins in the Latin language, specifically derived from the word "vernus," which means "spring" or "vernal." This connection to the spring season suggests a connotation of rebirth, renewal, and vitality associated with the name.
The name Vernica can be traced back to ancient Roman times, where it was likely used as a feminine name. It is believed to have been particularly popular among Roman families living in regions where the arrival of spring was celebrated and held great cultural significance.
One notable historical reference to the name Vernica can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman historian Tacitus. In his work "Annals," he mentions a woman named Vernica who was a member of a prominent Roman family during the 1st century AD. Unfortunately, not much is known about her life or accomplishments.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Vernica date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, found in various Roman inscriptions and records. During this time, the name was primarily used by Roman citizens, particularly those of higher social standing.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Vernica. One such person was Vernica of Milan, a 6th-century saint and abbess who founded a convent in Milan, Italy. She is venerated in the Catholic Church for her pious life and devotion to charitable works.
Another significant figure was Vernica Gambara (1485-1550), an Italian poet and noblewoman who was renowned for her poetic works and patronage of the arts during the Renaissance period. Her writings were highly acclaimed and influential in her time.
In the 18th century, Vernica Fontana (1738-1805) was an Italian painter and engraver who achieved recognition for her exceptional skills in portraiture and religious artwork. Her works can be found in various museums and galleries across Europe.
During the 19th century, Vernica Baines (1822-1892) was a British author and educator who wrote several books on history and literature. She was also known for her efforts in promoting education for women during the Victorian era.
More recently, Vernica Cartwright (born 1949) is an American actress who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including her iconic role in the horror classic "Alien." She has received critical acclaim for her performances throughout her career.
While the name Vernica may not be as common today as it once was, its historical roots and associations with spring, renewal, and vitality make it a unique and meaningful choice for those seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Vernica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vernica as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vernica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vernica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 132 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vernica going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,596,624 US residents.
Is Vernica a common name?
We classify Vernica as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 145 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vernica most popular?
The single biggest year for Vernica was 1975, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vernica is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Vernica in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 219 people with the name Vernica, or 0.07 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #36,320 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Vernica in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Vernica?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Vernica appears almost entirely female. Of the 225 people counted with this name, 99.6% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Vernica?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Vernica is Black at 50.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.1%) and White (13.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Vernica most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Vernica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.7% (111 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Vernica in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vernica a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vernica in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Vernica still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vernica in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Vernica can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How common is the name Vernica?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.