Vear
A variant spelling of the Old French name Vere meaning "truth".
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Vear. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vear today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vear births was 1938 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vear. 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 Vear is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Vears were born before 1958.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vear. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
1938
11 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
1960 SSA rank
#6,348
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Vear: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vear from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 57 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vear 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 Vear 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 Vear
The name Vear is of uncertain origin, with no clear consensus among etymologists and onomasticians regarding its roots. Some scholars suggest it may be derived from the Old Germanic word "veran," meaning "to journey" or "to wander," while others propose a connection to the Proto-Indo-European root "*uer-," signifying "to turn" or "to bend."
In ancient times, the name Vear appears to have been sparsely documented, with few references found in historical texts or records. However, a notable mention is found in the Codex Cumanicus, a linguistic manual from the 13th century that includes a list of personal names used by the Cumans, a Turkic nomadic people. Within this text, the name "Vear" is recorded, lending credence to its potential origins among the nomadic tribes of the Eurasian steppes.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Vear was a Frankish nobleman who lived in the 6th century AD. Known as Vear of Austrasia, he was a minor landholder in the region that is now modern-day Belgium and northern France. Historical accounts suggest he played a role in the political intrigues of the Merovingian dynasty, though the details of his life have been largely lost to time.
In the 9th century, a monk named Vear is mentioned in the annals of the Benedictine Abbey of Reichenau, located in present-day Germany. This Vear was noted for his scholarly pursuits and his contributions to the abbey's renowned library and scriptorium.
During the High Middle Ages, a figure known as Vear the Bold gained recognition as a skilled mercenary and military commander. Born in the late 12th century, he served under various nobles and monarchs, participating in numerous conflicts across Europe, including the Third Crusade. His exploits were chronicled in several contemporary accounts, though the details of his life were often embellished with legendary elements.
In the 15th century, a Venetian merchant and explorer named Vear Bragadin embarked on several voyages throughout the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions. His travel logs and maps, preserved in the archives of Venice, provided valuable insights into the trade routes and cultural landscapes of the time.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Vear, illustrating its sparse but enduring presence throughout various periods and cultures. While the origins and meaning of the name remain shrouded in uncertainty, it has left its mark on the tapestry of human history, weaving its way through the chronicles of different civilizations.
People
Vear + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vear 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
Vear: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vear?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vear 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Vear a common name?
We classify Vear as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 165 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vear most popular?
The single biggest year for Vear was 1938, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vear is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Vear in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vear a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vear 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 Vear still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vear 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 Vear 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Vear?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.