Can an Oscar-nominated actress take this choice from ditzy diner waitress to Hollywood glam?
Thanks to Jackson for suggesting Vera as Baby Name of the Day.
Before she was Up in the Air with George Clooney, Vera Farmiga was a well-regarded actress, but not a household name. Following her Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, that’s poised to change.
Farmiga, the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, wasn’t the first to lend her given name a little glamor. Vera Wang, the near-legendary designer of wedding gowns, first sent a gown down the aisle in 1990. Since then, celebrity brides as well as fictional ones – including both Carrie and Charlotte on Sex in the City rocked a Vera, though Carrie’s was just for a fashion shoot.
Vera was a Top 100 staple in the US from 1891 through 1929, and she’s relatively modern – there are no saints or ancients answering to the name, and she first appears in the nineteenth century. She’s a virtue name, but maybe not the one you’d think. It’s tempting to connect her to the Latin verus - truth – as in Verity. Instead, most agree that she’s from the Russian vjera – faith.
Multiple possible origins tend to make for a name that travels well, and that’s true of Vera, a name virtually unchanged in spelling or pronunciation across Europe. She’s currently a Top 50 pick in Sweden, and a Top 20 choice in the Czech Republic. She’s a place name from Argentina to Oklahoma.
Still, Vera tends to sound vaguely Eastern European, even maybe a bit severe. Russian silent film star Vera Kholodnaya was among the first famous bearers of the name. While little of her work survives, I’m guessing that her fame catapulted the name into greater use.
Also contributing to her Slavic edge is Oscar Wilde’s little known 1880 play Vera; or, The Nihilists, about a Russian barmaid turned crack assassin who ultimately meets a noble end.
Several famous Veras had their heydays mid-twentieth century, including:
- Actress Vera Miles played Lila Crane, sister to Janet Leigh’s ill-fated Marion Crane in legendary 1960 Hitchcock horror film Psycho. She’s also remembered as Hallie, opposite John Wayne in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence;
- Vera Lynn, the English singer known for sentimental smash hits “We’ll Meet Again” and “The White Cliffs of Dover” during World War II. Lynn also played the lead in a movie based on the first single.
Even if you don’t recognize Lynn’s name, odds are you know the songs. “We’ll Meet Again” is playing in 1964′s Dr. Strangelove as the doomsday machine destroys life as we know it. In Pink Floyd’s 1979 The Wall, song “Vera” is a reference to Lynn. Additional references are included in the movie version.
Then came 1974′s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. The movie was a drama, and Ellen Burstyn won the Best Actress Oscar as Alice. But just two years later, the television adaptation was a comedy. Once again, Alice was waiting tables at Mel’s Diner while dreaming of better things to come. Once again, Alice’s fellow waitresses included sassy Flo and mousy Vera. Dismissed as “the dingy” by diner owner Mel, Vera had plenty of good qualities. But surely her timid character helped usher Vera out of use, and before the show ended in 1985, Vera was completely out of the US Top 1000.
Could she make a comeback in 2010? Beyond her appealing meaning, V names are so very popular at the moment, from Ava to Vida .
Vera could work nicely for parents seeking a quirky choice, as well as name that’s familiar but little used.
Vera is pretty and seems like a nice choice for someone who doesn’t want to step into the Violet trend. Also (I’m actually embarassed to say) it’s on my fantasy/guilty pleasure list as a nickname to Vermilion which is my favorite of all the color names.
Vera still seems old-ladyish to me. It would probably take seeing on someone under 10 for me to see it as usable and modern. I like the name Verity, though, and Vera could plausibly be a nickname for Verity. I’d rather use Verity, but Vera is nice.
I love Vera, but really strongly prefer the Russian pronunciation (closer to VYEH rah) than the one commonly heard in the States: VEER ah. It made my long lists, usually as a middle, but my husband would simply say Lynn and then start in on “The White Cliffs of Dover”. My argument that it made the name less Russian sounding and that it was then a reference to his homeland were summarily dismissed… and so the name was banished from the list of names to actually consider. But I would LOVE to see more little Veras running around. I far prefer it to Violet, in fact.
Thank you for covering Vera! I was going to suggest it myself in honour my mother from whom I get my middle name. While my mother is NOT of Russian descent, she is from the branch of Mennonites (originally from Germany/the Netherlands) who camped out in Russia for many years before moving to the Americas. Her sisters, Lois and Luella, have names that are quite different, although equally dated. My mother’s name is the reason we’re considering Verity for a possible future daughter, although I could also see us just using Vera in a middle position like in my own name. My mother grew up believing that her name means “true” or “truth”, due in part to the motto of the local university: Quae Cum Que Vera, or “Whatsoever is True”.
Not a fan…I also hear it as an old-lady name. Vivienne is probably my favorite V-name right now. Other than the Veras you mentioned, I also think of Norm’s never-seen wife on Cheers.
As an old-lady name, Vera reminds me of Sylvia and Thelma.
For all those who love these very old-fashioned names, I have a treat for you. I mined my church directory from the late 80s for old-lady names. Found a few classics like Julia mixed with in with the Velmas. Enjoy:
Aletha, Alma, Ann, Bernice, Bettianne, Betty, Billie, Blanche, Bobbie, Charlotte, Cressie, Dorothy, Edith, Edna, Elizabeth, Eula, Eva, Evelyn, Frances, Gladys, Grace, Irene, Iva, Jean, Janie, Johnnie, Juanita, Julia, Laverne, Lee Tot, Lena, Leta, Liddie, Lillian, Lucille, Luella, Lula Mae, Katherine, Margaret, Marjorie, Martha, Mary, Maxine, May, Mel, Mildred, Mozelle, Myrtle, Neta, Norene, Norma, Olena, Ollie, Opal, Ora Lee, Pauline, Pearl, Peggy, Polly, Rena, Ruby, Runelle, Sadie, Thelma, Velma, Veta and Wanda
The most popular name by FAR was Opal! I’ll throw in one more, although she didn’t go to my church: my grandmother Ozella.
Wonderful list! But. . .Lee Tot?
I’m still surprised by Ora Lee and the fact that there were TWO Mozelles. Other multiples were Gladys, Pearl, Evelyn and Frances/Francis.
i saw a five year old vera in the uk times newspaper a couple of weeks ago as one of the daughters of a writer in there. my great aunt was verena so vera would be a cute nickname, but i just keep thinking how much i’d personally hate being a teenager with such an old lady name
Vera is really sweet. I am quite surprised that she hasn’t become popular. She is a two syllable vintage like Ava, Ella and Emma.
OOOH, another lovely name. I do wish the American pronunciation was closer to VAIR-ah (how my husband say it) than VEER-ah. When it’s pronounced VAIR-ah it would pass as a nick name for Veronica, as well as Verity.
I thoroughly like Vera! Although in my family (heavily Polish/Russian), she’d be pronounced closer to Where-ah. Close enough to the more solidly Russian VAIR-eh. I still like Vera as VEER-ah.
I used to have a boss named Vera , lovely, lovely woman she was which helps make the name even lovlier to me.
Still, while I might stretch Vera as a nickname for familial Violet or Valeriana, I don’t think Vera; while undeniably pretty, is elegant enough for me in full. I would surely Love to meet a little Vera !
Vera makes me think of the British soap opera character that I grew up watching:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Duckworth
I’m not sure how to look up how popular the name is in the UK though, to see if it’s more or less popular there.
Lee Tot is an amazing name!!! I had a great aunt Mozelle, married to my great uncle Donel.
I, too, automatically think of Vera Duckworth from “Coronation Street” when I hear this name, but I’m slowly starting to see it in a more glamorous light, haha.
But since it’s pretty much unheard-of where I live, I don’t really have anyone that I physically “know” to base my opinion of the name on.
I’m both excited and apprehensive to see Vera on your website.
My husband and I have a little Vera Mae (she’ll be 6 soon) and specifically chose this name because it was so underused. I want people to “LOVE IT”…but I don’t want anyone else to “USE IT.”
I love little old lady names and I think it’s beautiful to see a clunky old name on a little child. (We also have a Celeste, an Abbott and a Louisa…)
We’ve had nothing but compliments. As far a pronunciation, at least in the US, it will never be anything but VEER-ah.
I do like Vera, Rebecca! But I’m a sucker for a V name.
IMHO, you’ve done a great job of finding something current but not popular – a tough combination!
Me too! There’s just something about a V whether starting the name of just tucked in to the middle…
My daughter is Evangeline, and I also get excited about Vera, Verity, Vivienne, Veronica, Victoria, Violet, Viola, Avril, Sylvia, Genevieve, and Ava.
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My mothers name is Veralee which strikes me as a nice variation. Her mother made it up- combining the names of too aunts I believe. She is my mother so hard to be totally unbiased but it is obviously a very unique name and a strong one I think. My mother is an artist and I think it suits her well (she hates when people shorten it to Vera by the way). I do know another Vera that teaches movement and I think it also suits her well- something artistic about it I do believe…