Find out how popular the last name Verner is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Verner.

Verner, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Verner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Verner in America

Verner is the 10396th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Verner surname appeared 3,099 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Verner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Verner to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Verner

The surname Verner is of Old German origin, derived from the word "fern" meaning "journey" or "distant." It first appeared in the 12th century in the region of Bavaria, used by families who traveled frequently or lived in remote areas.

One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in a 1389 register from the town of Augsburg, mentioning a "Hans Verner." Another early record is from 1427 in Nuremberg, listing a "Kunz Verner" as a merchant and landowner.

The name later spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions like Austria and Switzerland. Variations in spelling emerged, such as Ferner, Fernner, and Vernner, reflecting local dialects and scribal errors.

In the 16th century, a notable figure was Martin Verner (1492-1561), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony. He played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Germany and authored several religious texts.

The Verner surname also appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. It is recorded as "Vernour," likely referring to a Norman family that accompanied William during the conquest of England.

Another historically prominent individual was Sir Ralph Verner (1629-1690), an English politician and landowner from Derbyshire. He served as a member of Parliament and was knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his loyalty during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Verner (1701-1786) was a German philosopher and mathematician who made important contributions to the field of logic and set theory. His work laid the foundations for modern symbolic logic.

Among the famous bearers of the name in more recent times was the American architect Thomas Verner Moore (1865-1941), known for his Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts designs. He designed several notable buildings, including the Ohio State Office Building and the DeGolyer House in Dallas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Verner

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Verner.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Verner was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Verner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Verner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Verner, please contact us.

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