VERITY
Verity is a surname of English origin, deriving from the Middle English word verity, meaning truth or honesty. The name conventionally functioned as an occupational or descriptive surname, applied to individuals known for their integrity or to those who served as official witnesses or truth‑tellers.
The surname also has roots in Old French, introduced to England following the 1066 Norman invasion. From the 12th century, the Ancien French word verite meaning “truth” appears in early records, suggesting that the name may have originally served as a nickname for a person reputed to be truthful, or for one who habitually portrayed the role of Truth in travelling mystery plays.
Evidence of the name’s early presence in England can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where Adam le Verite is recorded in 1275 during the reign of King Edward I, who ruled from 1272 to 1307. The first documented spelling in a later century is that of Richard le Verite in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, followed by Thomas Verty in the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire in 1379.
Subsequent church records further attest to the distribution of the surname. For instance, in 1664 the christening of John – son of John and Jane – Verrity took place at St. Dunstan’s in the East, Stepney. In 1690, Elizabeth Verity married George Ainsworth at St. James Church, Dukes Place, London. The year 1745 saw Christopher Verity’s marriage to Ann Clarke at St. George’s Chapel, Mayfair, coinciding with the period of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The 19th century witnessed the migration of the name. In 1846, Edward Verity, aged 20, emigrated as a famine refugee, boarding the ship Yorkshire from Liverpool on 19 November and setting in for New York.
Throughout its history, the surname Verity has continually reflected the virtue of truth, whether as a professional honour, a personal characteristic, or a cultural identifier within English society.
Typical given names associated with the Verity surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Martin
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Thomas
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jayne
- Jean
- Linda
- Lisa
- Lucy
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Verity in...
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There are approximately 2,089 people named Verity in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,062nd most common surname in Britain. Around 32 in a million people in Britain are named Verity.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Verity
- Hedley Verity - Cricketer (1905 to 1943)
- John Verity - Rock guitarist, record producer
- Hugh Verity - Writer (1918 to 2001)
- George Douglas Verity - Cricketer (1933 to 2012)
- Anthony Verity - Educationalist
- Danny Verity - Football player
- Terence Verity - Art director and architect (1913 to 1967)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.