Vernella
A feminine given name derived from the Latin "verna", meaning "youthful", "fresh", or "blooming".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Vernella. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vernella today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vernella births was 1928 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vernella. 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 Vernella is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Vernellas were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vernella. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1928
10 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1949 SSA rank
#6,023
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Vernella: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vernella from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 30 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Vernella remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vernella 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 Vernella 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 Vernella
The name Vernella is a diminutive form of the Latin name Verna, which means "born in springtime" or "vernal." It is believed to have originated in ancient Rome, where it was used as a personal name for both men and women.
The name Vernella gained popularity during the medieval period, particularly in Italy and France. It was often associated with the spring season and the renewal of life, symbolizing new beginnings and fresh starts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vernella can be found in the writings of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who lived from 1265 to 1321. In his Divine Comedy, he mentions a character named Vernella, although it is unclear whether this was a real person or a fictitious figure.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name Vernella was the Italian painter and engraver Vernella Spada (1555-1628). She was known for her intricate engravings and was considered a master of the burin technique.
During the Renaissance period, the name Vernella was associated with the arts and creativity. One of the most famous individuals with this name was the Italian composer and musician Vernella Frescobaldi (1583-1644), who was renowned for her contributions to the development of the Baroque style of music.
In the 19th century, the name Vernella gained popularity in parts of Europe, particularly in France and Germany. One notable bearer of the name was the French writer and feminist Vernella de Beauvoir (1819-1891), who was an advocate for women's rights and education.
Another remarkable individual with the name Vernella was the German philosopher and mathematician Vernella Hilbert (1862-1943), who made significant contributions to the field of logic and the foundations of mathematics.
Throughout history, the name Vernella has been associated with creativity, intellect, and a connection to the natural world. While it has not been as widely used as some other names, it has been carried by a number of notable individuals who have left their mark on various fields of endeavor.
People
Vernella + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vernella 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
Vernella: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vernella?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vernella 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Vernella a common name?
We classify Vernella as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 62 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vernella most popular?
The single biggest year for Vernella was 1928, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vernella is about 84 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 Vernella in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vernella a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vernella 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 Vernella still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vernella 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 Vernella 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 are called Vernella?
Want to know how many people share the name Vernella? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.