 Truth by Alfred Schwarzschild. | |
| Gender | feminine rarely masculine |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Old French |
| Meaning | truth |
| Region of origin | England |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Veretie, 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[1] 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 idolatry.
Verity is also a surname, which may have more ancient unrelated origins, possibly being a corruption of a similar word.[2]
- ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 270. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
- ^ Surnames had been adopted by families in England centuries before the Puritan era