Verena

Verena is most plausibly derived from the Latin verus, meaning true, real, or genuine. The Latin root gives rise to a family of related forms including Vera (the direct short form) and Veritas (truth). Some scholars have suggested that Verena may have pre-Roman, Celtic, or Alemanni origins in the Upper Rhine region, but the Latin derivation remains the most widely accepted. The name's long survival in Switzerland and southern Germany is almost entirely due to the cult of Saint Verena, whose shrine at Zurzach in the canton of Aargau has been a place of pilgrimage since the early medieval period. The Swiss German pet form Vreni remains a distinctly regional diminutive.

Verena is essentially a Swiss name in the modern European consciousness, inextricably linked to the national patron Saint Verena of Zurzach. The saint's legend tells of her journey from Egypt to Switzerland with the Roman Theban Legion, a unit of Christian soldiers who were martyred for their faith. Verena herself survived and lived as a hermit, caring for the sick and poor near Zurzach, where the magnificent collegiate church of St Verena stands to this day. Her feast day on 1 September is still celebrated in Switzerland. The name is less commonly given today than it was in the mid-20th century, when it was a mainstream Swiss and German choice, giving it a pleasingly vintage quality. Outside the German-speaking world it is very rare, which adds to its distinctive appeal.