Valerie

Where the name comes from

• Latin, through French
  From the Latin verb valere, "to be strong." It can also mean "to be well" or "to be healthy."
  Valeria, the feminine form of Valerius. Valerius was the name of an old Roman family (a gens). It comes from valere, "to be strong; to be well."
  English took Valerie from the French form, Valérie. The French name comes from the Latin Valeria. The family name Valerius comes from the Latin verb valere. That verb meant being sound or healthy. It also meant being worth something. Some books say the name means "brave," "valiant" or "fierce." Those are popular meanings. They play on the link between valere and the word "valor." The original sense is closer to "strong" or "healthy."

Valerie across traditions

• Ancient Rome. The Valerii were among the oldest noble families of Rome. They were said to be of Sabine descent. One of them was elected consul in the first year of the Roman Republic, about 2,500 years ago. Roman women of this family were named Valeria.
• Christian. Valeria was used in early Christian times. The French form, Valérie, became a favorite French name. Related men's names include Valerian and Valerio. Several early bishops and saints bore those names.
• Spanish and Latin American. Valeria is the form used by Spanish speakers. The related men's name Valerio is a Spanish and Italian personal name that comes from the Latin Valerius. Valeria is still a popular name for girls. It ranked #29 among girls born in Puerto Rico in 2022.
• French and Louisiana. Valerie is also an American family name. It is a French surname from the personal name Valerie. In 1880, every recorded Valerie family in the United States lived in Louisiana.
• American popularity. Valerie peaked in the 1960s. It was the #69 name for US girls born in that decade.

Who carried it

• Valeria (in Roman legend) (Early Roman Republic, about 2,500 years ago): In the story, she led the effort to persuade the mother of Coriolanus to plead with her son to spare Rome. Romans honored the name because of her.
• Publius Valerius Publicola (About 2,500 years ago): A member of the Valerius family. He helped drive out Rome's kings and became a consul in the first year of the Republic.
• Valerie Harper (1939–2019): American actress. She played Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and in its spin-off, Rhoda.

Forms in other languages

Valeria, Valérie, Valarie, Val

Valerie in letter-number systems

Hebrew, Greek and other traditions gave every letter a number, and read meaning into the totals. These are the counts, computed; the readings are inside the Innerverse.