Valerie Girl

Popularity: #124 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: VAL-uh-ree /ˈvæləri/

Origin: Latin; French

Meaning: Latin: strong; French: brave

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Valerie has its roots in the Latin word "valere," which means "to be strong" or "to be healthy." This etymological origin can be traced back to the Roman name Valerius, which was borne by several notable figures in ancient Rome. The name Valeria, the feminine form of Valerius, emerged in the Roman Empire and was used by early Christians, contributing to its spread throughout Europe.

The transition into English occurred through the influence of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, as the name was adopted into Old French as "Valérie" before making its way into Middle English. Historically, the name Valerie has been associated with several saints, most notably Saint Valeria, who is venerated in the Christian tradition.

Her feast day is celebrated on different dates in various regions, reflecting the name's significance in early Christian communities. The name gained further prominence through its inclusion in literary works and translations, such as the King James Bible, which helped to solidify its presence in English-speaking cultures.

Culturally, Valerie embodies themes of strength and health, resonating with the virtues of resilience and vitality. This association has allowed the name to endure across generations.

In addition to its historical and religious significance, Valerie has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as Val or Vally, which have been used affectionately in different cultures. The name's rich linguistic and cultural heritage contributes to its lasting appeal, reflecting a blend of strength and femininity that has been celebrated throughout history.

Famous people named Valerie

In this section, you will find notable people named Valerie. 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 Valerie who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Valerie 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.

Valerie Bertinelli is an actress best known for One Day at a Time, Hot in Cleveland, and Valerie's Home Cooking.

Valerie Plame is a former CIA officer best known for her role in the CIA leak scandal and her memoir Fair Game.

Valerie June is a singer-songwriter best known for her albums Pushin' Against a Stone, The Order of Time, and The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers.

Fictional characters named Valerie

The following list of fictional characters named Valerie 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.

Valerie is a fictional character from the graphic novel and film V for Vendetta. She is a pivotal figure whose story highlights themes of oppression and resistance against a totalitarian regime.

Sibling suggestions

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

VanessaVictoriaVivianVioletVeronica

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Valerie. 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.

VanessaValentinaVeraVickyVesperViolaVallie

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Valerie was first seen in the United States in 1884.

Valerie has ranked as high as #121 nationally, which occurred in 1959, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Valerie 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 Valerie 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 Valerie.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 2,221 0 2,221
2024 1,991 0 1,991
2023 1,955 0 1,955
2022 1,986 0 1,986
2021 1,840 0 1,840
2020 1,882 0 1,882
2019 1,890 0 1,890
2018 1,802 0 1,802
2017 1,824 0 1,824
2016 1,966 0 1,966
2015 1,880 0 1,880
2014 1,886 0 1,886
2013 1,880 0 1,880
2012 1,863 0 1,863
2011 1,957 0 1,957
2010 2,065 0 2,065
2009 2,321 0 2,321
2008 2,505 0 2,505
2007 2,424 0 2,424
2006 2,752 0 2,752
2005 2,041 6 2,035
2004 1,912 7 1,905
2003 1,919 5 1,914
2002 2,116 9 2,107
2001 1,988 6 1,982
2000 2,023 6 2,017
1999 2,038 0 2,038
1998 2,142 0 2,142
1997 2,224 0 2,224
1996 2,082 0 2,082
1995 2,189 6 2,183
1994 2,010 0 2,010
1993 2,182 7 2,175
1992 2,350 0 2,350
1991 2,389 9 2,380
1990 2,445 17 2,428
1989 2,574 12 2,562
1988 2,777 9 2,768
1987 2,977 13 2,964
1986 3,636 18 3,618
1985 3,898 17 3,881
1984 3,738 16 3,722
1983 3,919 18 3,901
1982 4,007 18 3,989
1981 3,625 14 3,611
1980 3,639 26 3,613
1979 3,430 23 3,407
1978 3,314 15 3,299
1977 3,282 16 3,266
1976 3,397 11 3,386
1975 3,239 12 3,227
1974 3,194 13 3,181
1973 3,059 17 3,042
1972 3,213 20 3,193
1971 3,692 13 3,679
1970 4,143 13 4,130
1969 4,310 10 4,300
1968 4,559 9 4,550
1967 4,775 18 4,757
1966 4,828 12 4,816
1965 5,666 18 5,648
1964 6,628 12 6,616
1963 6,184 12 6,172
1962 6,358 23 6,335
1961 6,699 22 6,677
1960 6,732 15 6,717
1959 7,318 16 7,302
1958 6,938 18 6,920
1957 6,250 19 6,231
1956 5,921 12 5,909
1955 5,523 11 5,512
1954 4,923 6 4,917
1953 4,601 10 4,591
1952 4,273 10 4,263
1951 3,564 5 3,559
1950 3,035 9 3,026
1949 3,062 10 3,052
1948 2,137 5 2,132
1947 1,553 0 1,553
1946 1,440 0 1,440
1945 1,079 0 1,079
1944 921 6 915
1943 955 0 955
1942 1,017 0 1,017
1941 752 0 752
1940 807 8 799
1939 622 0 622
1938 551 0 551
1937 494 0 494
1936 458 5 453
1935 486 0 486
1934 319 0 319
1933 293 0 293
1932 276 0 276
1931 244 0 244
1930 222 0 222
1929 180 0 180
1928 179 0 179
1927 195 0 195
1926 171 0 171
1925 151 0 151
1924 172 0 172
1923 155 0 155
1922 147 0 147
1921 190 0 190
1920 170 0 170
1919 171 0 171
1918 202 0 202
1917 182 0 182
1916 179 0 179
1915 171 0 171
1914 103 0 103
1913 116 0 116
1912 87 0 87
1911 58 0 58
1910 45 0 45
1909 47 0 47
1908 28 0 28
1907 31 0 31
1906 25 0 25
1905 25 0 25
1904 27 0 27
1903 17 0 17
1902 19 0 19
1901 19 0 19
1900 21 0 21
1899 12 0 12
1898 21 0 21
1897 16 0 16
1896 11 0 11
1895 19 0 19
1894 17 0 17
1893 10 0 10
1892 11 0 11
1891 12 0 12
1890 12 0 12
1889 12 0 12
1888 5 0 5
1887 7 0 7
1884 8 0 8

Top States for Valerie (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 325
17%
TX 239
12%
FL 187
10%
NY 105
5%
NJ 74
4%
NC 71
4%
OH 65
3%
GA 62
3%
IL 62
3%
PA 58
3%
VA 55
3%
AZ 50
3%
WA 43
2%
MA 42
2%
MN 37
2%
IN 36
2%
MD 36
2%
MI 35
2%
TN 35
2%
WI 32
2%
NV 31
2%
MO 29
1%
OK 25
1%
OR 21
1%
CO 19
1%
LA 19
1%
KS 17
1%
CT 17
1%
KY 17
1%
NE 17
1%
SC 17
1%
UT 15
1%
IA 13
1%
AL 10
1%
RI 9
0%
AR 9
0%
NM 8
0%
ID 8
0%
MS 7
0%