Vera

How to say it

/ˈvɛr.ə/

What it means

Two roots that converged: the Latin verus ('true') and the Slavic vera ('faith'). Vera Wang, Vera Farmiga, and Lynn Redgrave's Vera give the name three different English-language anchors.

Vera has two roots that converged in modern English usage. The Latin verus ('true,' from which English gets 'verity' and 'verify') gives one path. The Slavic vera ('faith') gives another; the Russian Faith-Hope-Love triplet (Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov) is a traditional grouping. Saint Vera was a 2nd-century Roman martyr (one of the Faith-Hope-Love triplet daughters of Saint Sophia). The English Vera was strong in the early 20th century (Vera Lynn, the WWII Sweetheart of the Forces, sang We'll Meet Again), dropped through mid-century, and is climbing again. Vera Wang (the bridal designer) and Vera Farmiga (the actress) are the modern anchors. Single short forms aren't common.

Heads-up notes

• Pop culture

  Vera Wang the bridal designer is the dominant US anchor; Vera Lynn ('We'll Meet Again') is the WWII-era one.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Vera Lynn British WWII-era singer, We'll Meet Again, 1917-2020
• Vera Wang American fashion designer, the wedding-dress brand
• Vera Farmiga American actress, Up in the Air and The Conjuring

Spelling variants

• Verena
• Verity

Names with the same feeling

• Iris Rainbow
• Ruby Red gemstone
• Stella Star
• Ada Noble, or 'adornment'
• June Of Juno

See Vera from another angle