Val
Val is a variant of the feminine names Valerie, Valeria, Valmai, Valentina, or Valene; as well as the masculine names Valeri, Valentine, Valen, Valentino, or Valens.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Val
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Val is a variant of the feminine names Valerie, Valeria, Valmai, Valentina, or Valene; as well as the masculine names Valeri, Valentine, Valen, Valentino, or Valens.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Val
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Val as a girl name dates back to 1908, when 9 babies received it. 1958 was its biggest year on record, with 110 newborns named Val — #988 in the national rankings. About 40% of every Val on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Val last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Val as a boy name dates back to 1882, when 5 babies received it. 1952 was its biggest year on record, with 178 newborns named Val — #523 in the national rankings. About 26% of every Val on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Val ranks #4,679 for boys with 22 births, rising sharply (+104% over the past five years). All told, over 6K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Val
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Val. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Val
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Val Ackerman (born 1959), American attorney, former basketball player, and first president of the Women's National Basketball Association
- Val Bennett (died 1991), Jamaican tenor saxophonist and jazz and roots reggae musician
- Val Bettin (1923–2021), American actor
- Val A. Browning (1895–1994), American industrialist, philanthropist, and third generation gun innovator
- Val Deakin , New Zealand ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher
- Val Demings (born 1957), American politician (US representative from Florida)
- Val Doonican (1927–2015), Irish singer
- Val Fitch (1923-2015), Physicist, Nobel Prize Winner
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Val
Phonetically similar names — useful when Val is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Val
What does the name Val mean?
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In which U.S. states is Val most popular?
Is Val a unisex name?
What names go well with Val?
What are nicknames or variants of Val?
About the name Val
Val is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Val's peak popularity came in 1952 when it ranked #523. Use the chart and map above to compare Val's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1952 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "V" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.