Valerie is a feminine given name of Latin origin. It comes from the Latin word "valere," which means "to be strong" or "to be healthy." The name Valerie was first used as a female form of the masculine name Valerius, which was derived from the Latin word "valere."
The name Valerius was quite popular during the Roman Empire, and it was often given to children who were believed to have been born with strength and vigor. As time passed, the female form of the name, Valerie, began to be used more frequently.
In medieval Europe, Valerie became associated with a legendary saint named Saint Valentine. According to legend, Saint Valentine was a Roman priest who secretly married couples during a time when Emperor Claudius II had outlawed marriage for young men. When he was discovered and arrested, Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter, Julia. Before his execution, he cured her of blindness with his prayers, and they exchanged vows. In some versions of the legend, Julia was named Valentina or Valerie.
Throughout history, the name Valerie has been associated with strength, courage, and love. Today, it is still a popular choice for parents looking for a strong yet feminine name for their daughters. Despite its historical ties to Saint Valentine's Day, the name Valerie is not exclusively linked to that particular holiday. Instead, it stands on its own as a beautiful and meaningful name with a rich history behind it.
Sources:
* Behind the Name: https://www.behindthename.com/name/valerie
* Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?nam=Valerie
* The Spruce: https://www.thespruce.com/facts-about-the-name-valerie-3916328
The name Valerie has a rich history in the United States, with its popularity fluctuating over time as reflected by the annual birth statistics provided.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Valerie was not a common name, with fewer than 20 births per year between 1884 and 1923. However, starting in the mid-1920s, the popularity of the name began to rise steadily. By 1935, there were over 400 births of girls named Valerie, and this number continued to increase throughout the following decades.
The peak of popularity for the name Valerie occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with over 7,000 births each year between 1958 and 1964. This high level of popularity persisted until the mid-1970s, after which time there was a decline in the number of babies named Valerie.
Despite this decrease in popularity, Valerie remained a reasonably common name throughout the latter half of the 20th century, with several hundred births per year. However, in recent years, the popularity of the name has continued to decline, with fewer than 2,000 births each year since 1997.
As of 2023, Valerie is still a recognizable and classic name, but it is no longer among the most popular choices for girls' names in the United States. In total, there have been approximately 268,997 births of girls named Valerie in the United States since 1884.
Throughout its history, the name Valerie has been a timeless and elegant choice, with its popularity ebbing and flowing over time but consistently remaining a beloved option among parents.