The first name Vera
A girl’s name from Russian meaning “faith”, “true”.
Pronounced /ˈvɪə.ɹə/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Russian origin
Vera means “faith”, “true” in Russian.
Borrowed in the nineteenth century from the Russian virtue name Ве́ра (Véra, “faith”). By folk etymology it has also been explained as Latin vera (“true”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 51 girls were named Vera, making it the 719th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 61 births (#634).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Vera with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Vera at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,482 girls born in the United States were named Vera, the 205th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 3,923 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Vera in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Vera in Danish, French, German, Latvian, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish too.
Famous people named Vera
94 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Vera FarmigaAmerican actress (born 1973)
- Vera RubinAmerican astronomer and physicist (1928-2016)
- Vera LynnBritish singer (1917–2020)
- Vera MenchikCzech chess player (1906–1944)
- Věra ČáslavskáCzechoslovak sports official, artistic gymnast and coach (1942–2016)
- Vera MilesAmerican actress (born 1929)
- Vera WangAmerican fashion designer (born 1939)
- Věra ChytilováCzech film director (1929–2014)
- Vera BrittainEnglish writer (1893-1970)
- Věra JourováCzech politician, businesswoman, jurist and university teacher (born 1964)
- Vera-EllenActress, singer, dancer (1921-1981)
- Véra ClouzotBrazilian-French actress (1913-1960)
More Russian girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Vera mean?
- Vera means “faith”, “true” in Russian.
- What is the origin of the name Vera?
- Borrowed in the nineteenth century from the Russian virtue name Ве́ра (Véra, “faith”). By folk etymology it has also been explained as Latin vera (“true”).
- How popular is the name Vera?
- In 2025, 51 girls born in England and Wales were named Vera, ranking 719th. Its peak was 2021, with 61 births.
- Is Vera a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 149,854 US babies named Vera since 1880 were girls.
- When was Vera most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 3,923 babies were named Vera, its highest rank at 68th.
- How do you pronounce Vera?
- Vera is /ˈvɪə.ɹə/, 2 syllables.
- Is Vera also a surname?
- Yes. Vera is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.