Gender Masculine
Usage English
Pronounced Pron. VAL-in-tien  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the Roman cognomen Valentinus, which was itself a derivative of the cognomen Valens meaning "strong, vigorous, healthy" in Latin. Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century martyr. His feast day was the same as the Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia, which resulted in the association between Valentine's day and love.

As an English name, it has been used occasionally since the 12th century. It is the name of a central character in Shakespeare's play The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594).

Related Names

DiminutiveVal
Other Languages & CulturesValentinus(Ancient Roman) Balendin(Basque) Valentin(Bulgarian) Valentin, Tin, Valent(Croatian) Valentin, Valentýn(Czech) Valentin(Danish) Valentijn(Dutch) Valentin(Finnish) Valentin(French) Valentin(German) Bálint(Hungarian) Valentino, Tino(Italian) Valentīns(Latvian) Valentinas(Lithuanian) Walenty(Polish) Valentim(Portuguese) Valentin, Vali(Romanian) Valentin, Valya(Russian) Ualan(Scottish Gaelic) Valentín(Slovak) Valentin, Tine, Tinek(Slovene) Valentín(Spanish) Valentin(Swedish) Valentyn(Ukrainian) Folant(Welsh)
Same SpellingValentine 2

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   formal   upper class   wholesome   refined   strange   complex   serious  

Images

17th-century depiction of Saint Valentine by David Teniers17th-century depiction of Saint Valentine by David Teniers

Categories

Entry updated June 9, 2023