Where does the name Valerie come from?

Valerie is a girl name of Latin origin.

Is Valerie a boy or a girl name?

Valerie is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 269,017 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Valerie in 2023?

Valerie ranks #144 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1959 with 7,302 babies.

How do you pronounce Valerie?

Valerie is pronounced VA-ler-ee (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Valerie?

Valerie is also written as Valery, Valeria, Valérie.

A name from Latin · Girl

Valerie

From the Roman family name Valerius, from valere meaning 'to be strong' or 'to be healthy'. Carried by several early Christian saints; surged in popularity in mid-20th-century America.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 139-year arc in numbers.

269,017 U.S. births recorded from 1884–2023.

Popularity · 1884–2023

1,955 births in 2023

1884 1953 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

VFrom the Roman family name Valerius, from valere meaning 'to be strong' or 'to be healthy'. Carried by several early Christian saints; surged in popularity in mid-20th-century America.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Valerie".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Valery Most common Valeria Valérie

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Valerie.

V
Valerie Bertinelli (actress)
V
Valerie Plame (CIA officer)
V
Valerie Harper (actress)

Quick answers

People often ask about Valerie.

What does the name Valerie mean?: Valerie means from the Roman family name Valerius, from valere meaning 'to be strong' or 'to be healthy'. Carried by several early Christian saints; surged in popularity in mid-20th-century America.
Where does the name Valerie come from?: Valerie is a girl name of Latin origin.
Is Valerie a boy or a girl name?: Valerie is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 269,017 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Valerie in 2023?: Valerie ranks #144 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1959 with 7,302 babies.
How do you pronounce Valerie?: Valerie is pronounced VA-ler-ee (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Valerie?: Valerie is also written as Valery, Valeria, Valérie.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.