Laverna
A feminine name derived from the Latin root meaning "to cleanse".
Name Census estimates that about 847 living Americans carry the first name Laverna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Laverna today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Laverna births was 1920 (127 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Laverna. 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 Laverna is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lavernas were born before 1963.
People living today
847
~ 1 in 404,669 Americans
Peak year
1920
127 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1985 SSA rank
#8,841
Tracked since 1889
Popularity
Laverna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Laverna from the 1880s through to the 1980s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 1,051 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
Laverna 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 Laverna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lavernas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin recorded the most babies named Laverna, while New Mexico, Indiana, Idaho recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 60 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Laverna
The name Laverna originated from the ancient Roman goddess of the same name, who was the protector of thieves, fraudsters, and the underworld. The name is derived from the Latin word "lavare," which means "to wash" or "to cleanse," referring to the goddess's ability to cleanse her followers of their wrongdoings.
Laverna was a relatively obscure goddess in Roman mythology, with her cult primarily centered in Rome itself. She was often associated with the goddess Fortuna, who represented luck and fortune. Laverna's festival, known as the Lavernalia, was celebrated on the 23rd of March.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Laverna can be found in the writings of the Roman poet Horace, who lived from 65 BC to 8 BC. In his work "Epistles," Horace refers to Laverna as the patron goddess of thieves and swindlers, highlighting her association with the underworld.
Throughout history, the name Laverna has been relatively uncommon, likely due to its association with the goddess of thieves and fraudsters. However, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name:
1. Laverna Siqueiras (1884-1948), a Brazilian poet and writer known for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and feminism.
2. Laverna Defoe (1919-1996), an American sculptor and artist known for her abstract bronze sculptures.
3. Laverna Neher (1926-2017), an American botanist and academic who specialized in the study of plant taxonomy and systematics.
4. Laverna Acosta (1935-2022), a Puerto Rican singer and actress who performed in various Latin American countries.
5. Laverna Torgerson (1942-present), an American politician who served as the mayor of Bozeman, Montana, from 1993 to 2001.
Despite its ancient Roman origins, the name Laverna has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, likely due to its association with the goddess of thieves and the underworld. However, it has been used by a few notable individuals in various fields, showcasing its unique and intriguing background.
People
Laverna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Laverna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Laverna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Laverna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 847 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Laverna 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 404,669 US residents.
Is Laverna a common name?
We classify Laverna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,733 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Laverna most popular?
The single biggest year for Laverna was 1920, when 127 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Laverna is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Laverna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Laverna 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.
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.