Valentine Unisex

Popularity: #849 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: VAL-en-tyne //ˈvæl.ən.taɪn//

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Latin: strong; healthy

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Valentine originates from the Latin name Valentinus, which is derived from the word "valens," meaning "strong" or "healthy." This name was used in ancient Rome and became associated with several early Christian martyrs, the most notable being Saint Valentine, who was martyred around the year 269 AD. His feast day, celebrated on February 14, became associated with romantic love during the Middle Ages, largely due to the belief that birds began to pair off on this date, thus intertwining the name with themes of love and affection.

The name Valentine entered the English language through the Old French form "Valentin," which was adopted after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. The name gained further prominence in the English-speaking world due to the influence of the Latin Vulgate Bible and various hagiographies that recounted the lives of saints, including Saint Valentine.

By the Middle Ages, the name was well-established in England, often used in literature and poetry, which contributed to its enduring presence in the cultural lexicon. Culturally, Valentine has been associated with notions of love, devotion, and fidelity, particularly in the context of romantic relationships.

The name's connection to Saint Valentine has made it a symbol of love and affection, celebrated through various customs and traditions, especially on Valentine's Day. The diminutive form "Val" has also emerged as a familiar variant, though it is less historically significant.

Overall, the name Valentine carries with it a rich tapestry of historical, linguistic, and cultural significance that has allowed it to resonate through the ages.

Famous people named Valentine

In this section, you will find notable people named Valentine. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Valentine who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Valentine who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Valentine de Saint-Point is a writer and artist best known for her involvement in the Futurist movement and her work 'Manifesto of the Futurist Woman'.

Valentine Wiggin is a fictional character best known as the protagonist in Orson Scott Card's novel 'Ender's Game'.

Valentine's Day is a widely recognized holiday celebrated for romantic love, often associated with Saint Valentine.

Fictional characters named Valentine

The following list of fictional characters named Valentine is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Valentine is a fictional character from the novel The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. He is a key antagonist who seeks to eradicate Downworlders and believes in the superiority of Shadowhunters.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Valentine, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

VictorVincentVanessaVioletVivian

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Valentine. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

VladimirVanceVaughnVernonVidalVitoViggo

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Valentine was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Valentine has ranked as high as #937 nationally, which occurred in 1919, and has been most popular in New York, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Valentine has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Valentine is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Valentine was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Valentine.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 159 89 70
2024 107 56 51
2023 129 83 46
2022 128 72 56
2021 102 53 49
2020 96 51 45
2019 117 62 55
2018 87 45 42
2017 83 48 35
2016 78 41 37
2015 72 31 41
2014 87 40 47
2013 67 35 32
2012 53 25 28
2011 66 33 33
2010 45 31 14
2009 53 28 25
2008 60 36 24
2007 42 20 22
2006 44 31 13
2005 47 33 14
2004 39 30 9
2003 39 26 13
2002 39 25 14
2001 38 23 15
2000 29 20 9
1999 42 28 14
1998 50 34 16
1997 54 40 14
1996 49 36 13
1995 37 24 13
1994 32 25 7
1993 39 23 16
1992 39 27 12
1991 45 32 13
1990 49 37 12
1989 35 26 9
1988 31 31 0
1987 42 30 12
1986 39 27 12
1985 47 33 14
1984 40 29 11
1983 41 29 12
1982 54 36 18
1981 54 38 16
1980 53 31 22
1979 42 32 10
1978 37 31 6
1977 28 21 7
1976 37 29 8
1975 33 28 5
1974 39 33 6
1973 39 32 7
1972 38 30 8
1971 31 31 0
1970 41 35 6
1969 38 30 8
1968 33 33 0
1967 40 32 8
1966 49 38 11
1965 63 45 18
1964 38 31 7
1963 39 31 8
1962 40 31 9
1961 34 26 8
1960 51 41 10
1959 45 32 13
1958 44 39 5
1957 52 47 5
1956 62 52 10
1955 78 64 14
1954 54 48 6
1953 71 60 11
1952 72 61 11
1951 63 54 9
1950 67 57 10
1949 79 68 11
1948 70 54 16
1947 65 53 12
1946 53 46 7
1945 33 28 5
1944 69 51 18
1943 75 56 19
1942 57 50 7
1941 75 63 12
1940 62 50 12
1939 54 44 10
1938 81 68 13
1937 74 64 10
1936 74 66 8
1935 72 58 14
1934 72 63 9
1933 84 70 14
1932 100 89 11
1931 111 92 19
1930 132 111 21
1929 113 97 16
1928 133 119 14
1927 139 114 25
1926 144 115 29
1925 136 106 30
1924 148 126 22
1923 136 108 28
1922 168 132 36
1921 138 103 35
1920 152 123 29
1919 180 142 38
1918 172 142 30
1917 156 104 52
1916 155 124 31
1915 167 137 30
1914 142 123 19
1913 93 81 12
1912 73 55 18
1911 40 29 11
1910 41 30 11
1909 39 27 12
1908 31 23 8
1907 26 19 7
1906 18 18 0
1905 28 19 9
1904 26 18 8
1903 33 24 9
1902 19 12 7
1901 26 19 7
1900 21 15 6
1899 15 15 0
1898 23 14 9
1897 17 12 5
1896 29 19 10
1895 30 23 7
1894 31 26 5
1893 15 15 0
1892 24 18 6
1891 11 11 0
1890 18 18 0
1889 21 15 6
1888 17 17 0
1887 20 15 5
1886 16 16 0
1885 26 16 10
1884 18 18 0
1883 16 16 0
1882 19 19 0
1881 13 13 0
1880 10 10 0

Top States for Valentine (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 27
61%
NY 6
14%
FL 6
14%
TX 5
11%