Valerie
From French Valérie, from Latin Valeria.
Every Valerie since 1884 — 273,922 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Valerie
Valerie is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #127 in 2025 with 2,221 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1884, 273,922 American babies have been named Valerie. Its peak came in 1959, when 7,318 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Valerie stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Valerie year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,221 | #127 | — | — |
| 2024 | 1,991 | #147 | — | — |
| 2023 | 1,955 | #144 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,986 | #148 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,840 | #155 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,882 | #144 | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,890 | #151 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,802 | #156 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,824 | #167 | — | — |
| 2016 | 1,966 | #160 | — | — |
| 2015 | 1,880 | #171 | — | — |
| 2014 | 1,886 | #176 | — | — |
| 2013 | 1,880 | #169 | — | — |
| 2012 | 1,863 | #169 | — | — |
| 2011 | 1,957 | #159 | — | — |
| 2010 | 2,065 | #149 | — | — |
| 2009 | 2,321 | #138 | — | — |
| 2008 | 2,505 | #135 | — | — |
| 2007 | 2,424 | #144 | — | — |
| 2006 | 2,752 | #127 | — | — |
| 2005 | 2,035 | #167 | 6 | #11,392 |
| 2004 | 1,905 | #180 | 7 | #9,888 |
| 2003 | 1,914 | #171 | 5 | #12,666 |
| 2002 | 2,107 | #155 | 9 | #7,602 |
| 2001 | 1,982 | #165 | 6 | #10,484 |
| 2000 | 2,017 | #166 | 6 | #10,293 |
| 1995 | 2,183 | #149 | 6 | #8,815 |
| 1990 | 2,428 | #129 | 17 | #3,594 |
| 1985 | 3,881 | #71 | 17 | #2,938 |
| 1980 | 3,613 | #85 | 26 | #2,109 |
| 1975 | 3,227 | #92 | 12 | #3,232 |
| 1970 | 4,130 | #97 | 13 | #2,732 |
| 1965 | 5,648 | #67 | 18 | #1,916 |
| 1960 | 6,717 | #65 | 15 | #2,201 |
| 1955 | 5,512 | #80 | 11 | #2,544 |
| 1950 | 3,026 | #116 | 9 | #2,760 |
| 1945 | 1,079 | #189 | — | — |
| 1940 | 799 | #214 | 8 | #2,853 |
| 1935 | 486 | #276 | — | — |
| 1930 | 222 | #452 | — | — |
| 1925 | 151 | #588 | — | — |
| 1920 | 170 | #546 | — | — |
| 1915 | 171 | #473 | — | — |
| 1910 | 45 | #637 | — | — |
| 1905 | 25 | #730 | — | — |
| 1900 | 21 | #830 | — | — |
| 1895 | 19 | #743 | — | — |
| 1890 | 12 | #822 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Valerie
- Valerie Solanas Writer · 1936–1988
- Valerie Perrine Actor · b. 1943
- Valerie Harper Actor · 1939–2019
- Valerie Hobson Actor · 1917–1998
- Valerie Mahaffey Actor · b. 1953
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Valerie mean?
From French Valérie, from Latin Valeria.
How popular is the name Valerie in 2025?
Valerie ranked #127 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,221 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Valerie?
273,922 babies have been named Valerie in the United States since 1884, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Valerie most popular?
Valerie peaked in 1959, when 7,318 newborns received the name.
Is Valerie a boy or girl name?
Valerie is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Valerie rising or falling?
Valerie is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Valerie?
Well-known people named Valerie include Valerie Solanas (writer), Valerie Perrine (actor), Valerie Harper (actor).