Duval
Masculine · “of the valley”
Duval is French du val, 'of the valley', written as a single word the way Dubois and Dupont are. In the United States it is also a name on the map: Duval County, Florida, the county around Jacksonville, was named in 1822 for William Pope Duval, the first civilian governor of the Florida Territory.
How old is the name Duval?
Duval first appears in US birth records in 1915 — 110 years ago. The typical Duval alive today was born around 1969, making them about 56 years old. About 400 people named Duval are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Duval most popular?
Duval peaked in 1968, reaching #2311 nationally. See the whole 1968 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From French du val, 'of the valley' to Duval
The story of Duval
Duval began in France as a surname for people who lived in a valley, and it reached America as a family name long before anyone used it as a first name. William Pope Duval, a lawyer who had served in Congress, was appointed the first civilian governor of the new Florida Territory in 1822, and the county around Jacksonville was named for him that same year. Its use as an American first name follows the surname.
Meaning
of the valley
A French surname from du val, 'of (or from) the valley', first used for a family living in one. French builds many surnames this way, fusing the preposition and the noun: Dubois is 'of the wood', Dupont 'of the bridge'.
How the name formed
- French du val, 'of the valley'
- Duval, French surname
- Duval as an American given name
Related forms: Duval · Del Valle · Della Valle
Pronouncing Duval
doo-VAHL
Usually said with the stress on the second syllable, following the French.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1915
- Most boys named
- 196912 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2311reached in 1968
- Change vs 2014
- 0.0%5 in 2022, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Duval in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Duval in French — same name
- Del Valle in Spanish — related form
- Della Valle in Italian — related form
Duvals among us
people named Duval are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Duval sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A plain, documented meaning, 'of the valley', that any French speaker recognizes at once.
- A real American place connection in Duval County, Florida.
- Its stress falls on the second syllable, which sets it apart from the D-names around it, such as David and Dylan.
- Many people will write Duvall, with two l's, after the actor Robert Duvall; expect to spell it aloud.
- As a first name it reads like a surname, so forms and rosters will sometimes swap it with the family name — a small, recurring nuisance rather than a problem.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Duval to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Duval? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Duval
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Duvals are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 400 people named Duval are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Duval in 2025?
- Duval is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Duval with classmates?
- Duval will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More D names
The most-given names starting with D, all years combined.
David#35 · Daniel#22 · Donald#690 · Dennis#707 · Douglas#807 · Dylan#41 · Danny#628 · Dale#1409
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Duval? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Duval and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle