Vere
A masculine English name derived from the Latin words "verus" meaning "true" or "ver" meaning "spring".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Vere. It is a predominantly male name (91.9% of registrations). The average person named Vere today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vere births was 1920 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vere. 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 Vere is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Veres were born before 1960.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vere. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1920
18 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1989 SSA rank
#5,847
Tracked since 1884
Gender
Gender distribution for Vere
Vere leans heavily male at 91.9% of total registrations, but 17 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Vere as a male name
- Ranked #9,168 in 1989
- 5 male births in 1989
- Peak: 1922 (16 births)
Vere as a female name
- Ranked #5,847 in 1924
- 5 female births in 1924
- Peak: 1895 (6 births)
Popularity
Vere: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vere from the 1880s through to the 1980s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 98 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
Vere 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 Vere 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 Vere
The name Vere has its origins in the Old French language, derived from the Latin word "verus" meaning "true" or "sincere." It was a popular name during the Middle Ages, particularly among the Norman nobility in England and France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vere can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Vere de Redvers. The name was also borne by several prominent figures in English history, including Vere, Earl of Oxford (1350-1392), who was a renowned military leader during the Hundred Years' War.
In the 12th century, the name Vere gained significance in religious circles as well. Saint Veronica, whose name is derived from the Latin phrase "vera icon" meaning "true image," was venerated in the Catholic Church for her act of wiping the face of Jesus Christ with a cloth, leaving an imprint of his image.
The name Vere was particularly favored by the English aristocracy during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. One notable bearer was Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford (1550-1604), who was a prominent courtier, playwright, and patron of the arts during the Elizabethan era. He is also speculated by some scholars to be the true author behind the works attributed to William Shakespeare.
Another famous Vere was Horace Vere (1565-1635), an English military commander who served in the Dutch Republic during the Eighty Years' War against Spain. He was renowned for his strategic abilities and played a crucial role in several victories, including the Battle of Nieuwpoort in 1600.
In the realm of literature, the name Vere appears in several notable works. One example is the character of Miss Vere de Vere in Charles Dickens' novel "Bleak House," published in 1853. The name was used to satirize the pretentiousness of the English aristocracy.
Overall, the name Vere has a rich history spanning centuries, with its roots deeply embedded in the Norman and English nobility, as well as religious and literary traditions. Its meaning of "true" or "sincere" has contributed to its enduring appeal and usage throughout the ages.
People
Vere + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vere 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
Vere: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vere?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vere 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Vere a common name?
We classify Vere as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 210 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vere most popular?
The single biggest year for Vere was 1920, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vere is about 76 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vere a male name?
Yes, 91.9% of people registered as Vere in the SSA data are male. 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.