Valerie
Valerie is generally a feminine given name, derived directly from the French Valérie. Valéry or Valery is a masculine given name in parts of Europe, as well as a common surname in Francophone countries. Another, much rarer, French masculine form of the name is Valère.
Meaning & Origin of Valerie
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Valerie is generally a feminine given name, derived directly from the French Valérie. Valéry or Valery is a masculine given name in parts of Europe, as well as a common surname in Francophone countries. Another, much rarer, French masculine form of the name is Valère.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Valerie
Valerie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 7,304 Valeries were born — ranking #60 that year. As of 2026, Valerie ranks #150 for baby girls with 2,018 births, gradually rising (+8%). In total, more than 275K Valeries have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Valerie
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Valerie Adams (born 1984), New Zealand shot putter
- Valerie Agnew (born 1969), American drummer
- Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos (born 1954), Guyanese–born English diplomat and politician
- Valerie Anand (1937–2024), English author
- Valerie André (1922–2025), French aviator, neurosurgeon, and military officer
- Valerie Ashby (born 1966), American chemist and professor
- Valerie Aurora , American feminist activist and software engineer
- Valerie Azlynn (born 1980), American actress
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Valerie
Phonetically similar names — useful when Valerie 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 Valerie
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About the name Valerie
Valerie is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 275K births in the dataset. Valerie's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #60. Use the chart and map above to compare Valerie's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "V" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.