Valerie is a feminine given name of Latin origin. It is derived from the Latin word "valere," which means "to be strong" or "healthy." The name Valerie is also associated with the Roman goddess Valeria, who was believed to embody courage and strength.
The name Valerie has been used since ancient times, but it became particularly popular during the Middle Ages in Europe. It was often given to girls born into noble families, as a way of expressing their parents' hopes for them to grow up to be strong and virtuous women. In some cases, the name Valerie may have also been chosen because it sounded similar to other popular names of the time, such as Valentine.
Over the centuries, Valerie has continued to be a popular choice for parents looking for a strong and meaningful name for their daughters. Today, it is still widely used in many English-speaking countries around the world. Some famous people with the name Valerie include actresses Valerie Bertinelli and Valerie Harper, singer-songwriter Valerie June, and journalist Valerie Plame Wilson.
In terms of its meaning and symbolism, the name Valerie is often associated with qualities such as strength, courage, and resilience. It can also be interpreted as a wish for good health and well-being. Whether used as a given name or a middle name, Valerie remains a powerful and memorable choice for parents looking to honor their daughters' potential for greatness.
Based on the statistics provided, we can observe several trends regarding the name Vallerie over the years in the United States.
From 1942 to around the mid-1960s, there was a fairly consistent number of births with this name each year. The range varied from a low of 5 births per year in certain years (such as 1942 and 1979) to a high of 26 births in a single year (1954).
Interestingly, the popularity of the name Vallerie began to fluctuate more significantly starting in the late 1960s. There were years with fewer than 10 births per year, such as 1966 to 1978, with some exceptions like 1972 and 1973 where there were 12 births each year.
Beginning in the late 1980s, we started to see a gradual increase in the number of births with the name Vallerie. This trend continued into the early 2000s, reaching its peak recently in 2006 and 2007 with 27 births each year.
However, since then, there has been another decline in popularity for this name, with fewer than 10 births per year since 2009. This includes a recent low of just 5 births in both 2022 and 2023.
Overall, while Vallerie was once a moderately popular name during the mid-20th century, its popularity has significantly declined over time. Despite this decline, it's still evident that there is some ongoing usage of the name Vallerie today, with occasional spikes in popularity followed by periods of lower usage.