Vernestine
A feminine name of English origin meaning "prosperous journey" or "safe journey".
Name Census estimates that about 70 living Americans carry the first name Vernestine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vernestine today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vernestine births was 1949 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vernestine. 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 Vernestine is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Vernestines were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vernestine. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
70
~ 1 in 4,896,491 Americans
Peak year
1949
10 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1961 SSA rank
#5,287
Tracked since 1930
Popularity
Vernestine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vernestine from the 1930s through to the 1960s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 66 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vernestine 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 Vernestine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vernestines live
Origin
Meaning and history of Vernestine
The name Vernestine is believed to have originated from the French language, with its roots tracing back to the Late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. It is a feminine form of the masculine name "Verne," which is derived from the Old French word "verne," meaning "alder tree."
In its earliest recorded usage, Vernestine was sometimes spelled as "Vernestyne" or "Vernestina." The name appears to have been relatively uncommon during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, with few notable historical figures bearing this moniker.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Vernestine was a French noblewoman, Vernestine de Montfort, who lived in the late 15th century. She was a member of the influential House of Montfort and played a role in the political intrigues of her time.
Another early reference to the name Vernestine can be found in the writings of the 16th-century French poet and playwright, Pierre de Ronsard. In one of his poems, he mentions a character named "Vernestine," though it is unclear whether this was a real person or a fictional creation.
In the 17th century, there are records of a Vernestine de Bourbon, who was a member of the French royal family and a distant relative of King Louis XIV. She lived from 1615 to 1678 and was known for her philanthropic endeavors.
Moving forward to the 18th century, one notable figure with the name Vernestine was Vernestine de La Tour d'Auvergne, a French noblewoman and salon hostess. She was born in 1705 and played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of Paris during her time.
In the 19th century, Vernestine Desbois-Valmore, a French poet and novelist, gained recognition for her literary works. She was born in 1786 and is considered one of the foremost female poets of the Romantic era in France.
While the name Vernestine has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has maintained a presence, particularly in French-speaking regions. Its unique and elegant sound, combined with its historical roots, has contributed to its enduring appeal as a given name.
People
Vernestine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vernestine 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
Vernestine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vernestine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 70 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vernestine 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 4,896,491 US residents.
Is Vernestine a common name?
We classify Vernestine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 137 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vernestine most popular?
The single biggest year for Vernestine was 1949, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vernestine is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vernestine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vernestine 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.
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.