2000
#1,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.10
Uncommon Last name
Vera
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the Latin word "vērus," meaning "true" or "genuine."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 37,967 Americans carry the last name Vera. That puts it at #1,043 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vera surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Vera with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
38K
1 in 9,028
Census rank
#1,043
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
33K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,109 bearers of the surname Vera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1043rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vera
The surname VERA originates from Italy and Spain, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. In Italy, it is believed to have derived from the Latin word "verus," meaning "true" or "genuine." It was initially used as a nickname to describe someone with an honest or truthful character.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VERA surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard Kingdom in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name appeared as "Verus" in these records, indicating its Latin origins.
In Spain, the surname VERA is associated with the town of Vera, located in the province of Almería, Andalusia. The town's name is derived from the Arabic word "wara'a," meaning "high place" or "elevated land." This connection suggests that the surname VERA in Spain may have originated as a locational name, referring to people from the town of Vera.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname VERA was Pedro de Vera, a Spanish conquistador born in the late 15th century. He participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés and played a significant role in the subjugation of the Aztec Empire.
Another prominent figure was Diego de Vera y Ordóñez de Villaquirán, a Spanish soldier and explorer born in the early 16th century. He served as the governor of the Spanish West Indies and was instrumental in the exploration and colonization of present-day Florida.
In Italy, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the VERA surname was Cesare Vera, a Renaissance painter and architect born in the late 15th century. He was known for his frescoes and worked on notable projects in Milan and Genoa.
During the 16th century, the VERA surname gained prominence in Spain with the birth of Fernán Pérez de Vera, a Spanish military officer and diplomat. He served as the ambassador to England and played a crucial role in the negotiations leading up to the Treaty of London in 1604.
Another notable figure was Antonio de Vera y Zúñiga, a Spanish nobleman and military leader born in the late 16th century. He served as the Viceroy of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1585 to 1589 and played a significant role in the governance of the Spanish colonies in the Americas.
Throughout its history, the surname VERA has been associated with various fields, including exploration, military service, diplomacy, and the arts, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vera
Among Census respondents with the surname Vera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Vera bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Vera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.5% · 30,304
- White6.3% · 2,097
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 336
- Black or African American0.6% · 194
- Two or more races0.3% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 66
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vera
Vera appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,674
+9,121 bearers (+37.1%)
Per 100,000 11.42
Rank movement Up 288 places
2020
#1,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,109
-565 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 11.08
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,319 | 24,553 | 9.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,031 | 33,674 | 11.42 | +9,121 bearers (+37.1%) | Up 288 places |
| 2020 | #1,043 | 33,109 | 11.08 | -565 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 12 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Vera surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,031 | #1,043 | -1.2% |
| Count | 33,674 | 33,109 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 11.42 | 11.08 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vera bearers went from 33,674 to 33,109 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,031 to #1,043.
FAQ
Vera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vera?
Name Census estimates that about 37,967 living Americans carry the surname Vera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,028 residents.
How common is Vera?
Vera ranks #1,043 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,109 people with the surname Vera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (37,967), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Vera.
Has Vera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vera went from 33,674 recorded bearers to 33,109. That is a decrease of 565 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,031 to #1,043.
What does the Census say about the background of Vera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Vera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (30,304 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.5%), White (6.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Vera (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Vera mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the Latin word "vērus," meaning "true" or "genuine." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Vera (11.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Vera?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.