Verlen
An invented name possibly a variation on the German name Verlon.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Verlen. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 73.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Verlen today is around 92 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Verlen births was 1923 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Verlen. 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 Verlen is about 92 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Verlens were born before 1944.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Verlen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1923
6 babies that year
Average age
92
years old
1941 SSA rank
#3,976
Tracked since 1923
Gender
Gender distribution for Verlen
Verlen is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 23 total registrations, 17 (73.9%) were male and 6 (26.1%) were female.
Verlen as a male name
- Ranked #3,976 in 1941
- 5 male births in 1941
- Peak: 1923 (6 births)
Verlen as a female name
- Ranked #4,810 in 1926
- 6 female births in 1926
- Peak: 1926 (6 births)
Popularity
Verlen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Verlen from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Verlen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Verlen 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 Verlen 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 Verlen
The name Verlen is a relatively obscure one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. Some scholars believe it to be derived from the Old French word "verler," meaning "to turn or twist," which could suggest a connection to the art of weaving or spinning thread.
Another theory traces Verlen back to the Germanic root "wer," signifying "truth" or "honor." This would align with the name's use in certain ancient Norse sagas, where it was occasionally bestowed upon warriors renowned for their valor and integrity on the battlefield.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Verlen can be found in a 12th-century Icelandic chronicle, where it belonged to a minor chieftain revered for his diplomatic skills and ability to resolve conflicts peacefully.
In the annals of medieval Europe, a notable figure bearing the name Verlen was a Flemish monk and scholar who lived in the late 13th century. He is credited with translating several ancient Greek philosophical texts into Latin, helping to preserve and disseminate these works during the Renaissance period.
Moving forward in time, a Verlen of some renown was a Dutch explorer who accompanied the famous navigator Abel Tasman on his voyages to the South Pacific in the 1640s. This Verlen is said to have kept detailed journals of the expeditions, providing valuable insights into the lands and peoples they encountered.
In the realm of literature, a Verlen who left his mark was a 19th-century French poet and critic. Though not widely celebrated during his lifetime, his innovative style and pioneering use of free verse would later influence generations of writers and poets to come.
Finally, in the 20th century, a Verlen of note was a German-born scientist who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics. His groundbreaking research on the behavior of subatomic particles earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics.
People
Verlen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Verlen 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
Verlen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Verlen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Verlen 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Verlen a common name?
We classify Verlen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Verlen most popular?
The single biggest year for Verlen was 1923, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Verlen is about 92 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 Verlen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Verlen a male name?
Yes, 73.9% of people registered as Verlen 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.
Is Verlen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Verlen 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 Verlen 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 people share the name Verlen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.