Veronica
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "true image".
Name Census estimates that about 175,367 living Americans carry the first name Veronica. It sits at #392 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Veronica today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Veronica births was 1980 (4,410 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Veronica. 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
- • Although Veronica is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 834 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
175K
~ 1 in 1,954 Americans
Peak year
1980
4,410 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2007 SSA rank
#392
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Veronica
Out of the 223,873 babies given the name Veronica since 1880, 99.6% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Veronica as a male name
- Ranked #10,847 in 2007
- 7 male births in 2007
- Peak: 1989 (48 births)
Veronica as a female name
- Ranked #392 in 2024
- 804 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1980 (4,381 births)
Popularity
Veronica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Veronica from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 39,547 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Veronica 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 Veronica during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Veronicas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Veronica, while Vermont, Wyoming, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 4,244 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Veronica
The name Veronica is derived from the Greek phrase "Vera Eikon", which translates to "true image" or "true likeness". This phrase is believed to refer to the legend of Saint Veronica, who wiped Jesus Christ's face with a cloth during his journey to crucifixion, leaving an imprint of his face on the cloth.
The name Veronica has its origins in the early centuries of Christianity, as the legend of Saint Veronica became widely known and celebrated. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 6th century, when it was mentioned in various religious texts and hagiographies.
One of the most famous historical references to the name Veronica comes from the 13th-century Golden Legend, a collection of hagiographies compiled by Jacobus de Voragine. In this work, the author recounts the story of Saint Veronica and her encounter with Jesus, cementing her place in Christian tradition.
Over the centuries, the name Veronica has been borne by several notable figures. One of the earliest was Veronica Gambara (1485-1550), an Italian poet and writer who was celebrated for her literary works during the Renaissance period. Another famous Veronica was Veronica Franco (1546-1591), a Venetian courtesan and poet whose works provided insight into the lives of courtesans in 16th-century Venice.
In the 17th century, Veronica Giuliani (1660-1727) was an Italian mystic and Capuchin nun who became renowned for her visions and spiritual experiences. She was later canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
The 18th century saw the rise of Veronica Guerin (1958-1996), an Irish crime reporter who fearlessly exposed the activities of drug lords in Dublin. Her life and tragic murder at the hands of criminal organizations brought international attention to the issue of organized crime in Ireland.
Another notable Veronica was Veronica Lake (1922-1973), an American film actress who rose to fame during the 1940s for her roles in films noir and her iconic hairstyle, known as the "peekaboo" look.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Veronica, a name that carries a rich cultural and religious significance rooted in the legend of the true image of Jesus Christ.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Veronica
People
Veronica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Veronica 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
Veronica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Veronica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 175,367 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Veronica 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 1,954 US residents.
Is Veronica a common name?
We classify Veronica as "Common". It ranks above 99.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 223,873 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Veronica most popular?
The single biggest year for Veronica was 1980, when 4,410 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Veronica is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Veronica a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Veronica 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.