Total births
69,113
Girls' name · since 1880
Verna
Verna has 69,113 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4894
- among girls today
- 69,113
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Verna is the #4894 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 69,113 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Verna recorded 69,113 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #4894 nationally today, ahead of 72% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4894 among girls today
- 69,113 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 72% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Verna is currently the #4894 girls' name in America, more common than 72% of girls - 69,113 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4894
- among girls today
- 69,113
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other girls
Verna vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4894
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 72% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Verna was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
1,873 babies were named Verna in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Verna compares
69,113 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Verna's all-time total is 181x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Verna | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 69,113 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,873 | 48 | 19,840 |
Verna's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Verna splits its recorded history at 1953: 15% of all births land in the more recent half, 85% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2009 (16 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 1,873 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Verna at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#4,894
Active since
1880
Verna popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,873
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Verna popularity over time - boys
525 total births recorded since 1883 (Verna as boys' name)
Verna by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Verna's strongest decade.
16,265 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Verna births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,052
1880s
1,052 births
- 1890s 3,036
1890s
3,036 births
- 1900s 4,752
1900s
4,752 births
- 1910s
1910s
13,214 births
- 1920s
1920s
16,265 births
- 1930s
1930s
10,582 births
- 1940s
1940s
7,868 births
- 1950s 6,160
1950s
6,160 births
- 1960s 3,355
1960s
3,355 births
- 1970s 1,165
1970s
1,165 births
- 1980s 537
1980s
537 births
- 1990s 334
1990s
334 births
- 2000s 293
2000s
293 births
- 2010s 313
2010s
313 births
- 2020s 187
2020s
187 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 16,265 births (24% of all-time use).
How Verna compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Verna's total volume
Verna vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Verna by state
Where Verna concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 5,939 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,685 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 2,989 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 2,663 | 3.9% |
| #5 | California | | 2,372 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 2,261 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 2,094 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 2,015 | 2.9% |
Pennsylvania share of Verna's total US births 8.6%
Even split
5,939 of 69,113 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Verna appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Verna? ▼
69,113 babies have been named Verna since 1880. It currently ranks #4894 among girls. The peak year was 1918 with 1,873 births.
When was Verna most popular? ▼
Verna was most popular in the 1920s decade with 16,265 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Verna most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Verna are Pennsylvania (5,939 births), Texas (3,685 births), Illinois (2,989 births).
How long has the name Verna been used? ▼
Verna has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Verna? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Veronica, Vera, Verda, Vernice, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Verna's data
- Verna's decade-level peak was the 1920s (16,265 total births); usage has since declined to 187 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Vernas (5,939 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Verna
Nearby Names Like Verna
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Verna
Veronica Girl
#392 223,775 births
Vera Girl
#226 149,456 births
Verda Girl
8,062 births
Vernice Girl
7,290 births
Vernell Girl
7,124 births
Compare Verna side by side: Verna vs Veronica Verna vs Vera Verna vs Verda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Verna
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Verna: #4894 Girls' Name - 69,113 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/verna. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Verna draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.