Valerie
Girl name · #127 in 2025 · Uniqueness 40/100
Valerie ranks #127 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 2,221 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #171, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 810 girls born in 2025 was named Valerie.
The 141-year story
Valerie first appears in the Social Security records in 1884, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1959, when 7,302 girls were named Valerie — good for #60 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Valerie per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Valerie against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Valerie in class?
Valerie scores 40 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Valerie is most common
Geography matters for names, and Valerie is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Valeries were CA (297), TX (236), FL (207), NY (125), IL (88). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Valerie
Statistically, parents drawn to Valerie tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Melanie, Catherine, Maria, Diana, and Elaine.
MelanieCatherineMariaDianaElaineBonnieCarmenJane
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Valerie | 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 |
| 2004 | 1,905 | #180 |
| 2003 | 1,914 | #171 |
| 2002 | 2,107 | #155 |
| 2001 | 1,982 | #165 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Valerie a popular girl name?
Valerie ranked #127 among girls in 2025 with 2,221 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #171.
When was the name Valerie most popular?
Valerie peaked in 1959, when 7,302 American girls received the name (ranked #60 that year). Since 1959 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Valerie?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 810 newborn American girls was named Valerie. It scores 40/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.