Find out how popular the first name Vern has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Vern by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Vern is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 8 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Vern.

The history of the first name Vern

The name Vern is a shortened form of the French name Vernon, which is derived from the Celtic word "fern," meaning "alder tree." The name has its origins in the ancient Gaulish language spoken by the Celtic tribes that inhabited present-day France and parts of Western Europe during the Iron Age.

Vernon was initially used as a place name, referring to settlements located near alder groves or along rivers where alder trees grew abundantly. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vernon can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.

The name Vern gained popularity as a given name during the Middle Ages, particularly in England and France. One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name was Vern Gallon, a French nobleman who lived in the 12th century and was a loyal supporter of King Louis VII.

In literature, the name Vern appears in Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," written in the late 14th century. One of the characters, a wealthy merchant, is referred to as Vern Attewode, a name that combines the given name with a reference to his occupation in the wood trade.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Vern. One of the most famous was Vern Michels (1928-2018), an American football coach who led the Green Bay Packers to two consecutive Super Bowl victories in the 1960s.

Another prominent figure was Vern Mikkelsen (1928-2019), a basketball player and coach who won four NBA championships with the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1940s and 1950s. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.

In the field of literature, Vern Partlow (1901-1987) was an acclaimed American poet and novelist known for his works that explored the lives of working-class people in the American Midwest. His novel "The Farmer's Son" was a bestseller in the 1940s.

Vern Blasdell (1924-2005) was a renowned Canadian artist and sculptor, best known for his large-scale public art installations and his contributions to the development of modernist sculpture in Canada.

Lastly, Vern Blosum (1891-1976) was a notable American engineer who played a pivotal role in the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s, one of the most ambitious and iconic engineering projects of the 20th century.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Vern was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Vern, please contact us.

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