Vera
A surname with several possible roots, most often understood as “true” or as a form of a personal name in Romance-language areas.
The #1,031 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,169 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Vera is most plausibly linked to the Latin word verus, meaning “true,” which also gives Spanish and Italian vera/vero forms. In Romance-speaking regions it may have begun as a nickname or as a surname taken from a given name or devotional use. Because the name is found across different languages and communities, a single origin cannot be stated with confidence for every family that bears it.
History
The surname appears in Spanish and Italian contexts and is also found more broadly in the Americas through migration from those regions. In some cases it may be connected with Jewish, Hispanic, or Italian naming traditions, but the documentary excerpts here do not support one exclusive line of origin. Modern bearers may therefore have different ancestral explanations depending on country and family history.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Vera is one of those surnames that can look simple but hide more than one history, which is why genealogists often have to trace the family line rather than the spelling alone.
From the historical record
“1003. Thomas Ledsham and Blix. Dan- vera : ibid. p. 379. 1775. Married— JoMph Webb aad Eliz. Letsome : St. Geo. Haa. Sq. L 349. Iiever. — Local, * of Lever.'”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)