Vernetta
Of French origin, a feminized form of Vernant meaning spring-like or flourishing.
Name Census estimates that about 1,460 living Americans carry the first name Vernetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vernetta today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vernetta births was 1951 (81 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vernetta. 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.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 234,763 Americans
Peak year
1951
81 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1995 SSA rank
#13,337
Tracked since 1897
Census
Vernetta in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,612 people with the first name Vernetta, which placed it at #8,849 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#8,849
National first-name rank
People counted
1.6K
1,612 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.5
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
71.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vernetta
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Vernetta is Black at 71.3%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Vernetta described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Vernetta at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American71.3% · 1,150
- White23.3% · 376
- Two or more races2.3% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 10
Popularity
Vernetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vernetta from the 1890s through to the 1990s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 611 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
Vernetta 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 Vernetta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vernettas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 23 states and territories. Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Vernetta, while Tennessee, New Jersey, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vernetta
The name Vernetta is a feminine given name derived from the Latin word "vernalis," meaning "of the spring" or "vernal." It is believed to have originated in ancient Rome, where the name was likely used to celebrate the arrival of spring and the renewal of life.
In ancient Roman culture, the vernal equinox was celebrated as a time of rebirth and fertility. The name Vernetta may have been bestowed upon children born during this season, symbolizing the emergence of new life and the promise of growth and renewal.
While the name Vernetta does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it shares a similar root with the Latin word "vernus," which is found in various writings from classical antiquity, describing the springtime or vernal season.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Vernetta can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, particularly in regions of Italy and France. During this period, the name began to gain popularity among Christian families, possibly influenced by its association with the renewal of life and the symbolic connection to the spring season.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Vernetta. One of the earliest recorded examples is Vernetta de Montferrat (c. 1150 - 1210), a noblewoman from the Montferrat region of Italy who played a significant role in the political affairs of her time.
Another prominent figure was Vernetta de Beauvoir (1275 - 1339), a French philosopher and writer who contributed to the intellectual discourse of her era. Her works explored themes of ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of human existence.
In the 16th century, Vernetta Manfredi (1503 - 1567) was a renowned Italian painter and sculptor, known for her intricate works that adorned churches and palaces throughout Italy. Her artistic legacy is celebrated to this day.
The 19th century saw the birth of Vernetta Wills (1832 - 1901), a British philanthropist and social reformer who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights.
More recently, Vernetta Loveday (1901 - 1985) was an American jazz singer and musician who gained popularity during the Harlem Renaissance. Her unique vocal style and contributions to the jazz genre left a lasting impact on the musical landscape of the 20th century.
People
Vernetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vernetta 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
Vernetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vernetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,460 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vernetta 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 234,763 US residents.
Is Vernetta a common name?
We classify Vernetta as "Rare". It ranks above 92.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,031 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vernetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Vernetta was 1951, when 81 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vernetta is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Vernetta in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,612 people with the name Vernetta, or 0.53 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #8,849 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Vernetta in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Vernetta?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Vernetta appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,615 people counted with this name, 99.8% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Vernetta?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Vernetta is Black at 71.3%. The next largest groups are White (23.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Vernetta most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Vernetta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.3% (1,150 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Vernetta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vernetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vernetta 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 Vernetta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vernetta 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 Vernetta 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.
How many people share the name Vernetta?
You can see how many people share the name Vernetta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.