Verity

Verity
Truth by Alfred Schwarzschild.
Genderfeminine, rarely masculine
Origin
OriginOld French
Meaningtruth
Region of originEngland
Other names
Related namesVeretie, Verety, Verita, Veritie

Verity (alias Veretie, Verety, Verita, Veritie, etc.) is a female first name and a surname. As a first name it derives from the Latin feminine noun veritas, meaning "truth". It is thus an equivalent of Alethea, a female first name first used in England circa 1585, derived from the ancient and modern Greek feminine noun αλήθεια (pronounced "al-ee-thia"), meaning "truth". It was adopted in England as a Puritan and Quaker virtue name, truthfulness being considered as a desirable attribute especially in women, and following a new Protestant tradition of naming children after virtues instead of saints in order to avoid supposed idolatry.

Verity is also a surname, which may have more ancient unrelated origins, possibly being a corruption of a similar word.

First name

Fictional characters

Surname

References

  1. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 270. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.