Verle

♂ Boy

Pronounced VURL /ˈvɜːrl/Medium

Meaning: Verle is a spare early-1900s American boys' name, a cousin of Verl and part of the rhyming set with Merle and Earl. Its ultimate root is not firmly fixed; it belongs to the plain, one-syllable rural names of its era rather than to a documented etymology.Low

In 30 seconds: Verle is a plain early-century American name in the Merle–Earl set (said 'VURL'). It crested around 1920.

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Origin LowAmerican, English

MeaningVerle is a spare early-1900s American boys' name, a cousin of Verl and part of the rhyming set with Merle and Earl. Its ultimate root is not firmly fixed; it belongs to the plain, one-syllable rural names of its era rather than to a documented etymology.

U.S. rank (1978)#5744 ↘ Falling

1978 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,758

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Verle is a one-syllable American name of the early 1900s, closely tied to Verl and echoing Merle and Earl. Its precise origin is uncertain; it sits among the plain, homespun boys' names of its generation. We read it honestly as a name of its time rather than assign a fixed meaning.

Verle was a modest early-century name, cresting near 1920 and fading by mid-century. A man given it at its peak would be past a hundred today. It never revived and reads now as a terse, antique rural name of the Merle–Earl family.

Did you know? Verle rhymes its way into a whole family of terse early-1900s names — Merle, Earl, Burl and Verl — all short, sturdy and rural.

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Verle — Early-1900s American short name; Verl/Merle/Earl family; origin uncertain

Variations

VerlVerlinVerle

Nicknames

Vern

Famous Bearers

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If you like Verle…

Merle— a like one-syllable name of the same era

Earl— a same-generation short rural boy's name

Burl— a same-family terse vintage name

Orval— a same-era plain American boy's name

Explore names like Verle

By themevintage american antique short-name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Verle mean?

Verle is an early-1900s American short name akin to Verl, Merle, and Earl; its root is uncertain.

How do you pronounce Verle?

It's said VURL /ˈvɜːrl/ — one syllable.

Is Verle a boy or girl name?

Verle is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Verle?

Verle was a modest early-century name that crested around the early nineteen-twenties and has been rare for generations.