Valerie

An awesome meaning and fun to say.

FYI: having been born a ‘Valarie’ (my parents spelled it the non-standard way most other parents have) in the late 1960s in Chicago, growing up I never liked my name much. My classes were always filled with the same GenEx super-popular names: Amy, Lisa, Jennifer, Debbie, Diane, Chris, Julie, Michelle, etc. But as a social scientist who’s actually investigated social dynamics such as social & personal identity, please allow me to respectfully correct some rather glaring errors. First, ‘Valerie/Valarie’ is actually a Latin (as in the Roman Empire & not Latin as it refers to various Latin in the Hispanic/Latino & Latina cultures. Valerie/Valarie originating in the historical Roman Empire has always meant ‘strong, healthy, valorous. Further, after taking root in the empire, the given/first name, Valerie/Valarie spread to France, Spain, and Italy where the spelling changed slightly to ‘Valérie.’ I have yet to find any valid primary sources substantiating that the name originates in Czechoslovakia. In any case, the different spellings of the name is due to the fact that the second syllable is the Schwa ‘e’ sound in phonetics, meaning that the pronounced sound of the second syllable could be any of the vowels’ sounds. Thus, Valerie/Valarie is pronounced the same way whether it’s spelled Valarie, Valerie, Valorie, Valarie, or Valurie, and even Valyrie. I’m not the best at explaining what the schwa ‘r’ sound actually is (as I only took one phonetics course during my doctoral coursework).

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But now that I’m an adult into my 50s, I actually love my name & I am glad my parents gave me a name with some character instead of what I call a ‘bubblehead name.’ With no disrespect intended, I could never get behind the ever-increasing parental practice of giving girls names that were actually boys names or applying surnames/last names as first/given names for girls. As a social psychologist & sociologist, I can attest to the ever-increasing social phenomenon of parents from the bottom two socioeconomic strata (poor/low income & working classes) believing that extremely creative names make a child & their family itself seem more sophisticated, affluent and successful, when in truth, such creative names actually are perceived by most other social groups as uncouth, ridiculous, uneducated & even labeling them as ‘white trash.’ Please forgive me but as PhD credentialed social scientist, I’m merely sharing what scientific research, field observations and culture itself have uncovered. IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER AM I ENDORSING SUCH OPINIONS AND AS A SCIENTIST FROM A WORKING CLASS BACKGROUND WHO WAS THE FIRST TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND ATTAIN A DOCTORATE, I FIND SUCH NARROW MINDED BELIEFS AS DESPICABLE AND REPUGNANT. Thank You! Dr. Bell.

You are misreading what the entry says about this name. It is NOT saying that Valerie originates in Czechoslovakia, but merely affirms that this is a form of the name sometimes used in Czechoslovakia. The entry says that Valerie is the English form of Valeria -- if you click on Valeria you will see that Valeria is the feminine form of Valerius, and if you go to Valerius you will see it is derived from the Latin for "to be strong", basically the meaning you give. It is Valeria with the "a" that's the original Latin form -- Valeria is also the form in Spanish and Italian -- 'Valérie’ is NOT a Spanish or Italian form, just French.

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This site has a different entry for many different forms or spellings of names derived from the same root, and you need to go back to the entries for the older forms which more recent forms are derived from to see what is being said about the origin of the name.

This is my sister's name. I really like it. It sounds like a strong and caring soul type of name to me. Also, love that it has an older vibe to it. It makes it more unique and this is my favorite spelling for it too.

It’s ok. I dislike the spelling.

I think it's very pretty, but I agree with several others that it feels dated to people born in the 1960s at the moment. It has been hovering near 150th place on the U.S. girls' chart for the past 30 years, and I doubt it will ever get much higher than that, unless it comes to prominence through celebrity or a beloved character in tv/film/books. I would be pleased to meet a child named Valerie, and she's almost guaranteed to be the only Valerie in her class, or even in her whole school.

Purdy :p.

Beautiful.

It's pretty. Valerie is a good name. It's sounds like ballerina in my opinion. :)

Valerie is a very gorgeous name. I actually prefer it to Valeria. Valerie is just short, simple, sweet - yet strong too! That’s actually the meaning of the name; “to be strong”. Now that’s a good meaning for a daughter. It’s better than Mallory too. Which has a slightly unfortunate meaning. I can’t envision anything bad when I hear Valerie. Not too common, not too dated. Familiar and recognizable. It’s a pretty and intelligent name. Valerie is a name I wouldn’t mind having myself.

My name is Valeri. My parents named me after actress Valerie Harper, but since my older sister’s name is Vicki, they decided to leave the e off the end of the traditional spelling of my name. This always frustrated me when I was younger. I ALWAYS get my name misspelled, and I was never able to find name merchandise with my name spelled my way (the closest I’ve ever gotten was a mug with Val on it). But then I realized that I get such a wide variety of misspellings of my name, it must be a problem for even the traditional Valeries out there. I prefer to be called Valeri and not Val. I don’t mind someone who knows me well calling me Val, but it feels presumptuous when a stranger decides to call me Val. I always correct them - my name is Valeri! My name has grown on me as I’ve gotten older. I like that it is familiar but not too common. I’ve even learned to embrace my spelling.

When I think of the name Valerie, I imagine a caring girl. It's a pretty name in my opinion and I love the accent variant (Valérie) too.

In my opinion, Valerie is a nice modern name used rarely in today's society. I have many friends with the name Valerie and they are all sweet and charming. Valerie, in my opinion, is a fantastic name and a great choice for your little kiddy :))

Had no idea how many people dislike this name. I am Valerie Mae and in my 30’s. Never met anyone younger than me with my name but I know a crap load of older ones, including 3 males. I also know A LOT of people. I reflect the meaning well, I am a very strong person. Dad almost named me Mallory (thank goodness I dodged that bullet) however to this day he spells it every way but right. Growing up I didn’t like the name, too many songs and kids would sing them, I tried to go by Mae but it never stuck, I tried for Erie but still never stuck. Valley (ugh) and Val were my nicknames. Now I am called Valerita mostly. I like margaritas... hehe. I absolutely love my name now and would never change it, so much if I ever had another girl, I’d name her that, I don’t care if I have the same name. This might be an unpopular opinion but I think it’s the prettiest name out there... not biased, just right! I am also hardheaded and always need to be right, unless I am wrong. I am loyal, loving and caring. I hate hurting others physically and/or emotionally. I am very empathetic and I see right thru bullshit. I make a great friend and a better lover. I can start a conversation with virtually anyone and I’m not afraid to say what’s on my mind. Peace ✌️.

I think it is a good name, and this name can rejoice me.

Feels something similar like Stephanie or Melanie, but Valerie looks a lot better and more mature. Good quality name. I like this name! Fits perfectly for different aged women.

Awful personal associations with Valeries. The nicknames are horrible too!

I'm a Valerie Renae and I absolutely hate it when my coworker calls me Vallie because it reminds me of a very dirty kind of vallie. My kids love calling me Mommy Vee and I'm so in for it but sometimes I would just like to be called Mommy or Mom. I love my name it's pretty cute, gorgeous and not common. I have two older sisters Ava and Hailey and they are super common names so if I could I would name a child Valerie.

Wonderful name, but I prefer Valeria or Waleria (pronounced the same as Valeria)

I know two 50+ year old women named Valerie... both angry, bitter people.

Pretty.

I have an aunt Valerie who died from lung cancer when I was 6. She started smoking when she was 11, and died at 48. She had some mental disorders like bipolar and schizophrenia. She wasn't a really good person either, so that's a bummer. She went by her middle name Denise as a child. I love both Valerie and Denise as names, I was talking to my parents and they said "She was definitely not someone to name your child after." She was a Christian, so she wasn't all bad.

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It's very sad because I love the name Valerie so much, but due to this I can't name my future daughter Valerie or Denise and that saddens me.

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Valerie is a wonderful name, you should totally use it.

Love the name! It just rolls off your tongue. Every Valerie I have met has been very pretty and nice.

Makes me think of snobby high school girls for some reason.

Very pretty name.

Valerie Dawn didn't mind being called val, hated being called Vally. Had an aunt that called me Val-ray, I wouldn't have minded if she didn't do it tauntingly. Didn't meet another Valerie with the same spelling until junior high school out of 800 kid's in the late 1970's. Others say Valory or Valeri. I should say I don't like the name for me, never felt pretty enough to have such a pretty name. I think you should get a freebie from the government to change your name at least once when you get older. After all, you didn't pick your name the first time. Still find it rare to hear my name said and find the person not talking to me. My mother didn't do the initial test VD. :)

I love the name Valerie as we named my daughter Valerie in 1983. We named her after the Steve Winwood song "Valerie".

Love this name soooooooo much. My first daughter will be named Valerie Maria.

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I also don't mind the nickname Val.

My name is Valerie Anne. My friends, family and, apparently, my entire church calls me Val. I prefer to be called Valerie professionally and whenever I'm introduced to someone. As a child I only knew one or two other Valeries. It is a well known name but not super common. It was not common enough to be able to buy personalized key chains, etc. and that bothered me. I find people call me Vicky and Vanessa a lot. Names starting with V seem to be confusing for people. My grandmother grew up in the Ukraine and she spelled it Valery. I wonder if she always thought I got a boy's name. Some people pronounce it with two syllables like Val-rie. When I waited tables, the Hispanic bus boys called me Valeria. One of my friends named her daughter Valerie. I don't think she named her after me but she didn't NOT name her after me - LOL. I like that it means strong. Sometimes I need that reminder when life gets tough. I didn't realize Amy Winehouse had a song. I knew about the Monkees, Steve Winwood and Material Issue (an 80's band from Chicago).

This name flows well, and I find it soft and unique. It’s cute and not too common. Val is a nice nickname too, though I prefer Valerie.

Valerie to me is beautiful, smart, and pretty. Unique. Anyone who doesn't like it is blind. Also, there is a song called Valerie Loves Me by Material Issue. So pretty! So unique, I love it and had I had a child it would have been her name!

Really beautiful. I prefer this over Mallory.

I like my name, I've never met anyone else who has the same spelling as me (Valarie). I've noticed on the song list (which I love telling people how many songs I have) I never knew about the Mark Ronson song but The Monkees' song "Valleri" was left off (circa 1967) it's a good song, so now I can tell people I have 4! Yay! I also like seeing the different spellings, I didn't know there were so many! A friend of mine keeps misspelling my name (Valerry or Vallery) and I I find it amusing. One of these days I'm going to meet someone with a unique spelling. My dad spelled it this way for me because he thought it was unique. I wish he was still alive so I could show him this lol.

I too find it interesting how many people have a negative feeling about my name. I am a Valerie Kae and have always loved that I very rarely meet other Valeries. When I do I am always excited about it and ask which way they spell it. I used to hate being called Val but over the years have gotten used to it. The only time I loved Val is when my grandmother calls me that as she adds my middle name and calls me Val Kae. I have a coworker who likes to call me Vally and it at first drove me crazy but I just go with it as he is a hoot and I know it is not meant maliciously. It has a beautiful sound and a beautiful meaning. My dad picked it for me and the story is he looked up names starting with a V due to a V shaped scar on his hand. Lucked out with that!

My grandmother’s name is Valerie Ann and she never really cared for it, she always goes by Val and despises being called Valerie. I think Valerie is a beautiful and classic name that flows off the tongue. The name is poetic and melodic and not too childish or dated, this is a name that would age so well. I personally don’t mind Val, although it sounds quite aggressive and takes away from the melody of the name. I think Vee would make a sweet nickname.
Also, the meaning of Valerie being “strong” is so compelling and beautiful. I would strongly consider naming a child Valerie.

Gorgeous underused name. I don't think Valerie needs a nickname.

Valerie is a beautiful name so stop being jealous.

So gorgeous. The only thing I don't really love is the nickname Val.

I like the name spelled Valory/Valorie, so that it has the meaning of valor (bravery, boldness, courage).

I love my name.

Valerie is a name that doesn't receive any praise from me. The only Valerie's I've ever come across were ones that gave me bad vibes, to say the least. For one reason or another, I have never met a Valerie who I liked. Not one.
This of course doesn't provide me with any heartache as I never cared for the name itself.
I'll more than certain keep my distance from it.

My name is Valerie Ann. Never been a fan of my name. Don't mind when people call me Val, I'd rather go by that than my full name to be honest. My father picked out my name. Don't know where he got it from he just has always told me he liked the name. I get called ValAnn a lot by a friend of mine. Cannot stand being called Vally, it drives me absolutely insane.

My mother said she named me Valerie from a girl who was an English character in a book. She never told me the name of the book. I have always hated the name. Most people like to nickname me Val. I hate that also. I really want to take a Biblical name like Sarai (Sarah) Elizabeth. Thought of changing my name so many times but it seems I can tolerate Allie okay.

Valerie is a very pretty name for a girl. Regardless of how it is spelled, it is lovely.

This spelling wasn't technically a male name, I think the male name is Valery or Valeri, and it's usually used in France and Russia. I like it on a girl, but hate Val as a nickname.

Wow. I had no idea how many people have such negative opinions about my name! I absolutely love it. To me it sounds like a sexy and sophisticated French girl's name. I love the way it is pronounced with a French accent. Only my immediate family calls me Val. When anyone else does, I immensely dislike it. Vally is my favorite nickname. My dad and cross country coach both called me that. I cannot stand it ending in an A like Valeria. The way Latin people pronounce it makes it sound like a disease, like malaria... no thanks. I also love the song Valerie by Amy Winehouse ;) and the one by Steve Winwood which I have been dumbfounded to discover though almost everyone born prior to 1990 knows this song, they don't even realize he's saying "Valerie" in it! (Call on meeeeee, Valerie! Valerieeeeee, call on me!)

I don't have any personal connections with this name, but I like it because it sounds feminine and elegant.

My mother named me after The Monkees' song, but misspelled it V-a-l-e-r-i. I love my name, and I love the fairly unique spelling. I hate the "e" at the end, primarily because my whole life people have added one without checking with me first. Because the name means "valor" or "courage" everyone sees me as brave, which, I suppose, I am. Perhaps I grew into that trait because of the name? I think it is a sophisticated, smart, sexy name. With my spelling, I also think it is more down-to-earth and wholesome. I hate being called "Val." That is because anytime my mom was mad at me, that is what she would call me. Val somehow doesn't have the same lyrical lilt to it that Valeri does. The first time someone calls me "Val" I smile and ask them to please call me "Valeri," and I explain about mom's tendency to say "Val" every time she was angry with me. People seem to be very understanding. All in all, I think it is the best name for me. If I wasn't born a "Valeri" I most likely would have picked it for myself when I was old enough to change my name. I love it that much!

I've never cared for this name. It always sounded ugly to me. It still does of course and it's also very unappealing.

My name is Valerie Lynn. My parents planned to name me Brandie, but when I was born my parents said I didn't look like a Brandie. There was a TV guide in the hospital room and Valerie Bertinelli was in it and my dad said he liked her name, and that's how I got my name. I didn't like it as a kid, but I do now. I've always received compliments on my name. I go by Val or Valerie. I have always been nicknamed Val Pal, Valerinna, or Valley, by friends, I find it endearing. Once, when I was a kid I told my mom I wanted my name to be Amy or Kimberly... She said; if I named you either of those names, you would be telling me you wished your name was Valerie.
Now I know she was totally right! ☺️ I like my name and the traditional spelling.

My name is Valerie Marie, so very similar to the Austrian Archduchess, Marie Valerie. I find it ironic that she went by her middle name and my father's intention was that I, too, would go by my middle name. But I strongly prefer Valerie and have used it exclusively since third grade.

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I like that its meaning is strength, which to me makes it a virtue name and better yet, the virtue to which I most aspire.

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I've carried the name for 48 years now and I've never felt it was too ill-fitting for any age group. I abhor nicknames and the biggest drawback to my mind is the inclination for people to call me Val. And no matter how politely you correct people from presuming to use a nickname, I think they are usually offended by the correction to some degree.

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My married surname translates to "power" so my whole name would probably be appropriate for a comic book character who wants to take over the world. :) strength, bitterness, power.

The song by Amy Winehouse makes me love this name so much more :)

I was born in 1952, and named Valerie Ann after my mother's two best girlfriends. I have always disliked the name, but I really hated Val. I always write my name as Valerie, and if asked what I prefer to be called, I say Valerie. When my daughter had her daughter, she wanted to name her Valerie after me. While it was a real honour, I just couldn't have another girl going through life disliking her name so I convinced her to make it her middle name. My now 10 year old granddaughter, Claudia Valerie just loves her name Valerie. It really does come down to personal preference. :)

My name is Valerie. I love my name so much. Although where I come from (a very foreign place) it takes a while to learn how to pronounce it, it gives me pleasure to see them try. My friends all love me and I am very popular (so they say) and little children love me. I do well in school and best of all, people usually make poems with my name. I think Valerie is a wonderful name that takes a true lover of the name to really appreciate it. I love my name. It sounds so sweet and posh. And fellow Valerie's who HATE your name, try to look at the meaning of the name, not the origin or related male's name Valery (my cousin's name).

I was born in 1960 as Valerie Anne. I've always loved my name. I love the spelling, the sound, and the uniqueness of Valerie. I was always the only girl in my class with this name, I could make my V's like bird wings or curly or over exaggerate the wonderful letter V. I was blessed, on the downfall I do not like to be called Val and about the only ones who call me that are my nieces and nephews... Aunt Val or Tia Val does not sound bad at all. I have had friends with granddaughter's named Valerie or in Spanish Baleria. Which sometimes I get called at work by my Hispanic friends.

I think it's adorable, and I always picture a Valerie as being a sassy joker and a dependable friend. I definitely encourage choosing this for a daughter.

My name is Valerie :) Honestly, I love it ^^ I get many compliments about it❤️.

Lovely name indeed! It reminds me of 'Valentine's day'. I don't think it's old. I first heard this name in a video called 'Magic School Bus'. There is a teacher named Ms. Frizzle! Her full name is Valerie Frizzle. Haha :D.

I love the name Valerie so much! It's really pretty and cute. :3 This name always reminds me of the late Amy Winehouse's amazing cover song.

As I've grown a bit older, I started loving my middle name Valerie a lot. I find it to be a really pretty, sweet - sounding name and I think it fits nicely with my first name, Sarah. These days, I'm almost always pairing my first and middle name together when using my real name online, and if not, I'm using only Valerie. Even with school work or just writing my name down, It's always Sarah V.

My name is Valerie. Not always liked the name- when I was a teenager I hated the name. But now I am older I like it much better. When I was about 12 my mother told me a story that her and my father had a argument about my name when I was born. My father wanted to call me Ruth. She won and my aunt was called Valerie, she hoped it would be a name I passed on to my baby girl when she was born. I never gave my daughter that name- she did not look like a Valerie to me. She was a little upset, but she got over it.

I think the name Valerie is amazing and magical and just gives someone a note of elegance. This is my favourite way of spelling it as well. It is a name that suits everyone and every age and doesn't make people sound old or anything. I marvel at the name and how unique it is. Even the shortened version Val sounds lush. I have met a few people called Valerie/Val and they are both very nice. It isn't someone's name that makes then horrible but their personality, so please do NOT judge people on their name.

Valerie is my name and I have always loved it, and people have always told me that my name is beautiful or lovely, so I've always loved it. Also, my friends call me V or Val (cause my initials are VAL: Valerie Ann L.). I agree, this name does sound very traditional and old fashioned but I love that about it, and it's a very unique name, unlike like Anna or Allison. Oh and I have never pictured old ladies as Valerie's, it just seems like an ageless name to me.

I don't think of old women when I hear this name. It makes me think of a beautiful little girl, then a pretty middle aged woman. I have no idea why people thinks that this is a bad name. Really, there are A LOT of ABNORMAL people on this site.

Okay, so the name is growing on me somewhat. I still prefer Valeria which has a softer sound. I'm finally getting people to call me Vani (rhymes with Bonnie) though a lot of people call me Van (like the vehicle) with an 'e' tacked onto the end. Something that helped me to accept my name, finally, is the meaning. Valerie can mean Strong or Of Determined Purpose. Combined with Nicole, same as Nicolas - Victory of the people, it means that I am Strong and Victorious, a meaning to which I'm trying to aspire. That's the reason I chose Vani; Va for Valerie and Ni for Nicole. It's a long slow progress, but I'm starting to appreciate the names my mother gave me. Please do your children a favor and name them something that has a good meaning. Even if they don't appreciate their names at first, they might start to do so when they're older. When I was younger, my father called me Vally because I was kind of a Valley girl, though I'm not from California :-)

Twins: Valerie (maybe diff spelling) and Victoria!

I love this name, it's so pretty! And I agree with the comment above, Valerie and Victoria would make good names for twins, or Vivian, or Vera. All are beautiful names :)

My name is Valerie Nicole. My grandmother's name was Valeria which I think is a much nicer spelling. Maybe it's just me but I've always hated this name as it was originally a male name. Please be nice to your children and stick to conventional names. What I wouldn't give to have a pretty name like Kate or Katherine. I also despise the nickname associated with this name. It's taken me over twenty years but I have almost rid myself of Val. I love Val Kilmer but as he is a male, I hate being called the same nickname. I combined my first and middle names for a prettier nickname: Vani (rhymes with Bonnie) Please be nice to your children people don't give your girls a male name or vise versa!

I think the name Valerie is feminine, elegant, yet strong. Not too popular, yet not too scarce. As a nickname, Val is not bad (though the full name is better, as is usually the case). As another person here said, "No name is perfect."

Not that it matters, but it rhymes with calorie. It's just very unpleasant sounding.

I have always found this name to be classy and sophisticated; the name of a girl who is smart, popular, friendly, and just a bit mischievous. It's a very good choice for a daughter. Not perfect, of course, but what name is?

My name is Valerie. As a child I didn't like the name, but what kid does like their name? Now I commonly go by Val. I had to laugh at the celery comment because a few kids who couldn't say my name called me that. Go figure. I love the meaning behind the name and I kind of like something different. Pet names (Mostly unwanted!): Val Pal, Val Gal, Valifornia, Valley Girl, Valerian, Valeria, Valerie-Valerah-Valerrah-ha-ha-ha, Vallerina.

It's cute and it sounds sweet. :) I like it.

This is my uncle's legal name, lol. Poor Val. Other than him, this name rather bores me.

The name makess me think of ditzy, superficial women. I don't find the name very pretty either.

I love this name! It has a great sound and just sounds neat.

I don't like this name, although it's the name of a good friend of mine (oops I hope she doesn't read this.) I think it's because to me it sounds very old fashioned - I could imagine a grandma being called this, not a little girl.

I like this spelling much better than
Vallory
Vallary
Vallorie
and Vallarie.

Valerie is a very feminine and beautiful name.

This is my name. I have never liked it. I really hate being called Val. My relatives refuse to spell it anywhere close to correctly. I just have had a weird vibe from this name, and it is so strange to hear a young chid being called Valerie. I agree that it sounds like an old lady name. I have a friend who calls me Valveeta. I adore her, so it's okay.

My middle name is Valerie. I don't necessarily like the name all that much, but it's a pretty good middle name.

This is my least favorite name for a girl. It's all stuffy and old lady sounding. Plus I have known a few Valeries over the years and they were all absolutely horrendous. The person I dislike most in the world is named Valerie; if you knew her, you wouldn't like the name either!

I don't really like this name, but I love the suggested nickname Vali. It's cute.

Reminds me of celery, don't know why.

Valerie is my twin sister's name. My husband and I love it. All girls that I know with that name are so cute. We want to name one of our kids Valerie.

I don't like this name, and not because I'm biased because I have a best friend with this name (sshh! she doesn't know!) This is probably because I don't usually like names ending with an 'e' sound. I lean more towards names ending with an 'a'.

My name is spelled with an e, not an a, and I am glad. I think, though, personal preference is due to what you are used to, because I personally don't like the 'a' spelling, and think that it makes the name look hard and less feminine. I think the 'e' makes it look like it sounds val-er-ie, not val-are-ie.

I spell my name with the A rather than the E (Valarie) and personally do not like the E spelling. I think it looks very masculine and rough. The A softens the name.

I think that by spelling it Valerie it still seems feminine and is spelled the way you say it also. I prefer the spelling Valerie more than some of the other versions that are less common and are not as recognized universally. Still, others prefer to have the name stand out and be different than the usual ways of spelling.