Girl · #1,664 in 2026

Valkyrie

In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar. When the einherjar are not preparing for the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead.

  • Various
Current Rank
#1,664
Peak Rank
#1,450 (2022)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
+35%
1992
First Year
2026
Last Year
2022
Peak Year
#1450
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
29
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Valkyrie

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar. When the einherjar are not preparing for the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Various
Etymology
The word valkyrie derives from Old Norse valkyrja (plural valkyrjur ), which is composed of two words: the noun valr (referring to the slain on the battlefield) and the verb kjósa (meaning "to choose"). Together, they mean 'chooser of the slain'. The Old Norse valkyrja is cognate to Old English wælcyrge . From the Old English and Old Norse forms, philologist Vladimir Orel reconstructs the Proto-Germanic form * walakuzjǭ . However, the term may have been borrowed into Old English from Old Norse: see discussion in the Old English attestations section below. Other terms for valkyries in Old Norse

The Story of Valkyrie

The earliest SSA record of Valkyrie as a baby girl name dates back to 1992, when 9 babies received it. 2022 was its biggest year on record, with 153 newborns named Valkyrie — #1,450 in the national rankings. About 61% of every Valkyrie on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Valkyrie ranks #1,664 for baby girls with 125 births, rising sharply (+35% over the past five years). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Where is Valkyrie most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • United States
    50%
  • France
    15%
  • Philippines
    13%
  • Malaysia
    11%
  • MO
    11%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Valkyrie

Phonetically similar names — useful when Valkyrie 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 Valkyrie

What does the name Valkyrie mean?
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar. When the einherjar are not preparing for the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead.
What is the origin of the name Valkyrie?
Valkyrie has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Various.
How popular is Valkyrie in 2026?
In 2026, Valkyrie ranks #1,664 among girls' names in the U.S., with 125 babies given the name that year.
When was Valkyrie most popular?
Valkyrie reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #1,450 that year with 153 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Valkyrie most popular?
Valkyrie has historically been most popular in Utah, Arkansas, Colorado. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Valkyrie.
Is Valkyrie a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Valkyrie is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Valkyrie?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Valkyrie include Birdella, Lizzy, Mirabel. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Valkyrie

Valkyrie is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1992 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Valkyrie's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #1,450. Use the chart and map above to compare Valkyrie's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.