boy's name
Valentin
va-lahn-TAN
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 129,704
the United States
#660
2025 births
Valentin is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "strong" or "healthy," the French form of Valentine. It ranks fifty-ninth in France and 660th in the United States, and its peak in our records is the most recent year we hold.
- Valentin is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1996, when 5,770 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 630 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Valentin over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,545 |
| 1910s | 1,225 |
| 1920s | 1,190 |
| 1930s | 815 |
| 1940s | 455 |
| 1950s | 455 |
| 1960s | 430 |
| 1970s | 620 |
| 1980s | 5,690 |
| 1990s | 46,715 |
| 2000s | 31,695 |
| 2010s | 19,005 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,420 |
What Valentin means
Valentin means strong, vigorous or healthy. It comes from the Latin valens, the present participle of valere, to be strong or to be well, which also gives English valid, value and convalesce.
Where Valentin comes from
Valentin descends from the Latin Valentinus, from valens, strong. Saint Valentine is at least two people and possibly three, conflated early: a priest of Rome and a bishop of Terni, both martyred on 14 February, with the details of each borrowed by the other. The romantic association has no basis in either life and appears first in Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls, which places the mating of birds on Saint Valentine's day. The name is common across France, Romania, Russia and the Spanish-speaking world, and the feminine Valentina has traveled further internationally than the masculine.
Valentin in use
Valentin ranks fifty-ninth in France with about 935 births in 2025 and its peak in our records is that same year, so it is still rising. It has meaningful American presence at 660 but is scarce in Britain, beyond 2,800 in England and Wales. Our data carries it from 1912. The contrast with the feminine Valentina, far better known internationally, is the notable thing about its distribution.
How popular is Valentin?
In 2025, Valentin was given to 935 babies in France, ranking #59 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Valentin is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Valentin
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Valentin also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Valentin over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Valentin
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Valentin in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Valentin
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Valentin — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Valentin
What does the name Valentin mean?
Valentin means "strong" or "healthy," from the Latin valens.
Is Valentin connected to Valentine's Day?
The saint is, though the romantic association appears first in Chaucer and has no basis in his life.
How do you pronounce Valentin?
va-lahn-TAN, with a nasal final syllable.
Is Valentin still rising?
Yes. It ranks 59th in France and peaks in the most recent year we hold.
How popular is the name Valentin?
In 2025, Valentin was given to 935 babies in France, ranking #59 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Valentin a girl's or a boy's name?
Valentin is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Valentin?
Valentin has 3 syllables.
When was Valentin most popular?
Valentin peaked in 1996, when 5,770 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Valentin?
Valentin is usually shortened to Val.
Is Valentin a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Valentin currently ranks #59 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.