How Many People Are Named Verne?
An estimated 1,728 people in the United States have the first name Verne. It is used for both genders, with 86.9% male. The average bearer is 74 years old, and Verne peaked in popularity in 1919 with 200 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Verne as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Verne paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 74, Verne is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1962.
Estimated Living Americans
1,728
About 1 in 198,353 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
86.9% confidence
Average Age
74
years old
Peak Year
1919
200 births
Total Registered
6,719
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Verne
Verne is predominantly male (86.9%), though 878 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Verne as a male name
Ranked #9,426 in 1990
5 male births in 1990
Peak: 1919 (167 births)
Verne as a female name
Ranked #7,544 in 1962
5 female births in 1962
Peak: 1918 (42 births)
Verne in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,191 people with the first name Verne, which placed it at #7,068 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Verne was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 2,191 people with this name in that snapshot, 88.5% were male and 11.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 86.9% of the time.
Census Count
2,191
people with this name
Census Rank
#7,068
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.73
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Verne was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.12%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.52%) and Two or More Races (2.70%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Verne in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Verne.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 83.12% | 1,817 |
| Black | 9.52% | 208 |
| Two or More Races | 2.70% | 59 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.20% | 48 |
| Hispanic | 1.56% | 34 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.91% | 20 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Verne: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Verne span from the 1880s to the 1990s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 1,572 babies were registered. Verne has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Verne by Decade
How has Verne tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Verne by State
Birth registrations for Verne span all 23 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Illinois, California, Iowa. The lowest are in New Hampshire, North Carolina, Maine. On average, about 121 Vernes were registered per state.
Verne + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Verne as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Verne
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
Verne: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Verne?
We estimate approximately 1,728 people named Verne are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 198,353 Americans share this first name.
Is Verne a common name?
Verne is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 93.1% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 6,719 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Verne most popular?
Verne reached peak popularity in 1919, when 200 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Verne is approximately 74 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Verne in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 2,191 people with the first name Verne. That placed it at #7,068 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.73 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Verne was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Verne?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Verne was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 88.5% male and 11.5% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Verne?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Verne was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.12%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.52%) and Two or More Races (2.70%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Verne a male name?
Verne is predominantly male. 86.9% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Verne have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Verne peaked in 1919, and the average living bearer is about 74 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Verne Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Verne Smith, Verne Johnson, Verne Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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