Veta
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Spanish meaning "prayer".
Name Census estimates that about 580 living Americans carry the first name Veta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Veta today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Veta births was 1916 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Veta. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Veta is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Vetas were born before 1967.
People living today
580
~ 1 in 590,956 Americans
Peak year
1916
58 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
2021 SSA rank
#17,500
Tracked since 1889
Census
Veta in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 983 people with the first name Veta, which placed it at #12,598 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
#12,598
National first-name rank
People counted
983
983 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
51.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Veta
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Veta is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (40.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Veta 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 Veta at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.4% · 505
- Black or African American40.7% · 400
- Two or more races3.5% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 8
Popularity
Veta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Veta from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 408 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Veta 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 Veta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vetas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri recorded the most babies named Veta, while Illinois, Colorado, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 38 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Veta
Veta is a feminine given name with origins rooted in ancient Latin. The name itself is derived from the Latin word "vetus," meaning "old" or "ancient." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals in recognition of their wisdom, experience, or reverence for tradition.
In the early days of the Roman Empire, the name Veta was occasionally used, though it was not particularly widespread. Historical records from this period are scarce, making it difficult to pinpoint the earliest known individuals bearing this name. However, it is believed that Veta was more commonly used as a cognomen or nickname rather than a formal given name during this time.
As the centuries passed, the name Veta gained a foothold in various regions of Europe, particularly in regions with strong Latin influences. One notable figure from medieval times was Veta of Saxony, a 12th-century noblewoman who played a significant role in the establishment of several religious institutions in her region.
During the Renaissance period, the name Veta experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy. One of the most renowned individuals bearing this name was Veta Trissino, an Italian poet and humanist who lived from 1478 to 1549. Her literary works, which often celebrated the beauty of nature and the human experience, earned her widespread acclaim and recognition as a prominent figure of the Italian Renaissance.
In the 17th century, Veta became a more common name in parts of Eastern Europe, particularly in regions with Slavic cultural influences. One noteworthy individual from this period was Veta Dubrovna, a Ukrainian artist who gained recognition for her intricate embroidery work and contributions to traditional folk art.
As the centuries progressed, the name Veta continued to be used across various cultures and regions, though its popularity waxed and waned over time. In the 19th century, one notable bearer of the name was Veta Kostadinova, a Bulgarian educator and activist who fought for women's rights and access to education.
While the name Veta may not be as widely used in modern times, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of cultural heritage and linguistic history, serving as a reminder of the enduring influence of ancient languages and the diverse narratives that have shaped the world we know today.
People
Veta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Veta 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
Veta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Veta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 580 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Veta 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 590,956 US residents.
Is Veta a common name?
We classify Veta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,021 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Veta most popular?
The single biggest year for Veta was 1916, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Veta is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Veta in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 983 people with the name Veta, or 0.33 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #12,598 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 Veta 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 Veta?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Veta appears almost entirely female. Of the 985 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 Veta?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Veta is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (40.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Veta most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Veta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.4% (505 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 Veta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Veta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Veta 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 Veta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Veta 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 Veta 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 Veta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.