unisex name
Valentine
va-lahn-TEEN
- Origin French
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 3
- Letters 9
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 61,761
France
#82
2025 births
Valentine is a unisex name of Latin origin meaning "strong" or "healthy." It ranks eighty-second in France, where it is used for both sexes, and is reviving after a peak in our records in 1919.
- Valentine is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1997, when 1,750 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,008 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Valentine 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 | 6,550 |
| 1910s | 3,570 |
| 1920s | 2,645 |
| 1930s | 1,085 |
| 1940s | 415 |
| 1950s | 400 |
| 1960s | 415 |
| 1970s | 755 |
| 1980s | 2,155 |
| 1990s | 10,105 |
| 2000s | 11,090 |
| 2010s | 8,840 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,035 |
What Valentine means
Valentine means strong, vigorous or healthy, from the Latin valens. It is the same name as Valentin, and in French serves as the feminine while remaining usable for both.
Where Valentine comes from
Valentine descends from the Latin Valentinus, from valens, strong, the present participle of valere, to be well — the root of English valid, value and convalescent. Saint Valentine is a conflation of at least two martyrs, both commemorated on 14 February, and the romantic association appears first in Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls rather than in any account of their lives. In English the name was masculine for centuries and has become largely feminine; in French it functions as the feminine of Valentin while remaining available for both, which is why our data records it as unisex.
Valentine in use
Valentine ranks eighty-second in France with about 585 births in 2025 and is recorded in our data as unisex. Our records show a peak in 1919 and a revival now, and carry the name from 1880. It has modest American presence at 1,793 and appears in Ireland. The masculine Valentin sits higher in France at 59th, so the two forms are both current there, which is unusual.
How popular is Valentine?
In 2025, Valentine was given to 585 babies in France, ranking #82 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Valentine 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 Valentine
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Valentine also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Valentine over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Valentine
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.
Valentine 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 Valentine
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Valentine — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Valentine
What does the name Valentine mean?
Valentine means "strong" or "healthy," from the Latin valens.
Is Valentine a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. Our data records it as unisex in France; in English it was masculine for centuries and is now largely feminine.
Is Valentine's Day named after the saint?
Yes, though the romantic association appears first in Chaucer and has no basis in his life.
How popular is Valentine?
Eighty-second in France, with the masculine Valentin higher at 59th.
How many syllables are in Valentine?
Valentine has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Valentine?
Valentine is usually shortened to Val.
Is Valentine a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Valentine currently ranks #82 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.