Meaning: Its source is Berenike, a Greek name meaning "Bringer of victory."

Nickname For: Veronica

Popularity: The name Vonnie ranked 1986th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: St. Veronica was said to have offered Jesus a cloth to wipe his face as he faltered on his way to crucifixion. She obtained a miraculous ''true image'' (in Latin a vera icon) of Jesus' face on the cloth. Some commentators prefer to derive Veronica from the Latin phrase associated with the Christian saint, rather than from the name of the pagan Greek goddess of victory, Nike.

Compare this to St. Jerome's association of Mary with the Latin phrase stella maris (meaning ''star of the sea''), despite the more widely supported derivation from the Hebrew name Miryam, meaning ''wished-for child.''