Veronica
Veronica was the 427th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 730 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 68th; the most babies were born in 1980 (4,378). Over the last ten years it has moved down 59 places. More babies were named Veronica in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning bringing victory (from Berenice); linked to 'true image' · Greek, Latin
Say it vuh-RON-ih-kuh /vəˈrɑnɪkə/
- Rank in 2025
- #427 girls, down 41 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 730girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19804,378 babies
- Total since 1880
- 224,609babies recorded
What does the name Veronica mean?
Veronica is the Latin form of Berenice, from Greek Pherenikē, "bringing victory", according to Wiktionary. In Christian legend Saint Veronica wiped the face of Jesus on the way to Calvary and his image remained on her veil; the name was then linked with Church Latin vera icon, "true image", and the Random House dictionary records veronica as the word for that image. That link is a popular reinterpretation rather than the origin.
Φερενίκη (Ancient Greek, “bringing victory”)
How sure is this? Probable. Derived from Berenice; the 'true image' explanation is a later association.
Other explanations you may read: from Latin vera icon 'true image'.
Related names: Berenice, Veronika, Ronnie, Vera.
See also: Greek names, names that mean victory.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Veronica', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Veronica', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Nicknames for Veronica
The usual nicknames for Veronica are Ronnie, Roni and Vera. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Veronica in the last five years, 180 were named Vera, against 6 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie · also for Ronald, Ron | Traditional | #1,792 | 436 |
| Roni | Modern | #6,503 | 77 |
| Vera | Modern | #205 | 6,819 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Veronicas go by each one.
Veronica popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 834 since 1916.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #427 | 730 |
| 2020 | #386 | 808 |
| 2010 | #295 | 1,106 |
| 2000 | #143 | 2,356 |
| 1990 | #96 | 3,588 |
| 1980 | #70 | 4,378 |
| 1970 | #110 | 3,489 |
| 1960 | #168 | 2,428 |
| 1950 | #197 | 1,387 |
| 1940 | #263 | 566 |
| 1930 | #245 | 638 |
| 1920 | #192 | 1,039 |
| 1910 | #207 | 314 |
| 1900 | #213 | 218 |
| 1890 | #278 | 82 |
| 1880 | #465 | 14 |
How popular is Veronica, counting every spelling?
Veronica is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #428 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #427 for Veronica on its own. Together these spellings went to 773 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veronica | 730 | #427 | 3,787 |
| Veronika | 43 | #3,571 | 252 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Veronica?
730 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Veronica (0.20 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Veronica born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Veronica.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Veronica?
About 182,800 people born in the US named Veronica are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 32 and 57. That makes Veronica mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Veronica by state
How common Veronica was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wisconsin (2.2×), Kansas (2.0×), Minnesota (1.9×), New Mexico (1.8×), Connecticut (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Louisiana, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Veronica: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Veronica, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Veronica · Sibling names for Veronica
Questions about the name Veronica
What does Veronica mean?
Veronica means “bringing victory (from Berenice); linked to 'true image'” (Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Veronica?
Veronica was the 427th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 730 babies. Its best year was 1976, when it ranked 68th; the most babies were born in 1980 (4,378). Over the last ten years it has moved down 59 places. More babies were named Veronica in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Veronica a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Veronica in the US.
Where is Veronica most popular?
In 2021–2025, Veronica was most common in Wisconsin (1.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kansas and Minnesota.