How Many People Are Named Vernelle?
An estimated 304 people in the United States have the first name Vernelle. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 75 years old, and Vernelle peaked in popularity in 1924 with 69 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Vernelle 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 Vernelle paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 75, Vernelle is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1961.
Estimated Living Americans
304
About 1 in 1,127,481 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
99.6% confidence
Average Age
75
years old
Peak Year
1924
69 births
Total Registered
1,250
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Vernelle
Vernelle is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 1,250 total births registered, 99.6% were female.
Vernelle as a male name
Ranked #4,121 in 1933
5 male births in 1933
Peak: 1933 (5 births)
Vernelle as a female name
Ranked #8,732 in 1974
6 female births in 1974
Peak: 1924 (69 births)
Vernelle in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 500 people with the first name Vernelle, which placed it at #20,595 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, Vernelle was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 500 people with this name in that snapshot, 6.6% were male and 93.4% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 99.6% female.
Census Count
500
people with this name
Census Rank
#20,595
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.17
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Vernelle was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (50.59%). The next largest recorded groups were White (41.73%) and Two or More Races (2.76%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Vernelle 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 Vernelle.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 50.59% | 257 |
| White | 41.73% | 212 |
| Two or More Races | 2.76% | 14 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.77% | 9 |
| Hispanic | 1.57% | 8 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.57% | 8 |
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.
Vernelle: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Vernelle span from the 1900s to the 1970s, covering 8 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 397 babies were registered. Vernelle has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Vernelle by Decade
How has Vernelle 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.
Vernelle by State
Birth registrations for Vernelle span all 6 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Virginia, South Carolina, Texas. The lowest are in Georgia, North Carolina, Nebraska. On average, about 53 Vernelles were registered per state.
Vernelle + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Vernelle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Vernelle
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
Vernelle: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vernelle?
We estimate approximately 304 people named Vernelle 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 1,127,481 Americans share this first name.
Is Vernelle a common name?
Vernelle is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 79.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,250 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Vernelle most popular?
Vernelle reached peak popularity in 1924, when 69 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Vernelle is approximately 75 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Vernelle in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 500 people with the first name Vernelle. That placed it at #20,595 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.17 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 Vernelle 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 Vernelle?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Vernelle was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 6.6% male and 93.4% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Vernelle?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Vernelle was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (50.59%). The next largest recorded groups were White (41.73%) and Two or More Races (2.76%). 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 Vernelle a female name?
Vernelle is predominantly female. 99.6% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Vernelle 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. Vernelle peaked in 1924, and the average living bearer is about 75 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Vernelle Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Vernelle Smith, Vernelle Johnson, Vernelle 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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