Verena
Feminine · “true”
Verena is a Swiss name above all — a third-century Egyptian woman who came north with a Roman legion and became the patron saint of a large part of German-speaking Switzerland.
How old is the name Verena?
Verena first appears in US birth records in 1890 — 135 years ago. The typical Verena alive today was born around 1960, making them about 65 years old. About 1,100 people named Verena are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Verena most popular?
Verena peaked in 1890, reaching #825 nationally. Today it ranks #3712, 2,887 places below that high. See the whole 1890 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Verena
Verena is said to have traveled from Thebes in Egypt with the Theban Legion and settled at Zurzach on the Rhine, where she tended the sick and where her shrine still stands. Whatever the history, the name has been Swiss for a very long time and is among the country's characteristic women's names. It reaches American records with Swiss, German and Mennonite families.
Meaningscholars disagree
true
Two readings compete. The Latin verus, true, is the most-cited and gives the same root as Vera. A derivation from the Greek Berenike, bringer of victory, has also been proposed and would make the name entirely unrelated. Neither is settled.
Pronouncing Verena
veh-REH-nah
Three syllables with the stress in the middle. English speakers often say vuh-REE-nah.
Nicknames for Verena
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1890
- Most girls named
- 202540 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #825reached in 1890
- Change vs 2022
- +25.0%40 in 2025, from 32
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Verena in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Verena in German — same name
- Verena in Italian — same name
- Vera in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Indiana.
Verenas among us
people named Verena are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 40,182 born in 2025 was named Verena
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Verena sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Verena is headed
Verena should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Verena beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Verena in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A documented saint with a genuinely striking biography behind it.
- Vera and Rena are both complete short forms in their own right.
- Very well established in Switzerland, so it has a real community behind it.
- The middle vowel is said differently in German and English.
- The meaning is contested between two entirely different readings.
- Vreni needs explaining to anyone outside a Swiss family.
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What they receive
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Verena
Feminine · #3712 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Verenas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,100 people named Verena are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Verena in 2025?
- Verena ranks #3712 among US girl names in 2025, with 40 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Verena?
- About 1 in every 40,182 US girls born in 2025 was named Verena — 40 in all.
- Will my child share the name Verena with classmates?
- Verena will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Verena
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Monet#3712 · Barrett#3712 · October#3712 · Aubrianna#3712 · Mishka#3712 · Berkleigh#3712 · Zailey#3712 · Ora#3712
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Verena? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Verena and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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