Valentine
Feminine · “strong”
Valentine is given to both — 2,239 girls and 6,711 boys since 1880. See Valentine as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Valentine is strong in Latin — valens — and the saint's connection to lovers may begin with a Chaucer poem.
How old is the name Valentine?
Valentine first appears in US birth records in 1885 — 140 years ago. The typical Valentine alive today was born around 1982, making them about 43 years old. About 1,400 people named Valentine are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Valentine most popular?
Valentine peaked in 1885, reaching #695 nationally. Today it ranks #2514, 1,819 places below that high. See the whole 1885 chart.
Valentine appears on this list:
Where it comes from
From valere to Valentine
The story of Valentine
Nothing in the early accounts of Saint Valentine connects him to lovers; the earliest link is Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls, which has birds choose mates on his day. The Latin behind the name means strong and gives 'valid' and 'value'. Feminine Valentine is standard in French and is in current American use.
Meaning
strong, healthy
From the Latin Valentinus, from valens, 'strong' or 'vigorous', from valere, 'to be well' — the same verb behind 'valid', 'value' and the farewell vale. The romantic association is documented no earlier than Chaucer. The Latin is undisputed.
How the name formed
- valere
- valens
- Valentinus
- Valentine
Related forms: Valentine · Valentina · Valentina
Pronouncing Valentine
VAL-un-tyne
Three syllables, stress on the first. French Valentine is va-lon-TEEN.
Nicknames for Valentine
Moderate
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
- 1885
- Most girls named
- 202570 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #695reached in 1885
- Change vs 2022
- +25.0%70 in 2025, from 56
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.
Valentine in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Valentine in French — same name
- Valentina in English — related form
- Valentina in Italian — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Florida. INSEE rounds every published count to the nearest five for statistical confidentiality; the ranks are calculated from the exact figures. International figures from INSEE. Sources
Valentines among us
people named Valentine are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 22,961 born in 2025 was named Valentine
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Valentine sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Valentine is headed
Valentine should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Valentine beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Valentine in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That the romantic association may begin with a Chaucer poem is a first-rate fact.
- That 'valid' and 'value' share the root is a genuinely good connection.
- Val and Tina are two short forms, both with real records.
- The February association is total in English.
- French and English say it differently.
- It reads as masculine in English-speaking countries.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Valentine 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 Valentine? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Valentine
Feminine · #2514 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Valentines are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,400 people named Valentine are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Valentine in 2025?
- Valentine ranks #2514 among US girl names in 2025, with 70 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Valentine?
- About 1 in every 22,961 US girls born in 2025 was named Valentine — 70 in all.
- Will my child share the name Valentine with classmates?
- Valentine will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Valentine
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Syeda#2514 · Gracyn#2514 · Imogene#2514 · Orla#2514 · Annalisa#2514 · Nazareth#2514 · Susannah#2514 · Maysen#2514
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Valentine? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Valentine 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; international figures from national statistics agencies. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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