Unisex name · since 1882

Val

5,657 babies named Val in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1952. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#1,650 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#4,546 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
5,657
born since 1882
1950s
peak decade

5,657 babies have been named Val since 1882, making it today's #4546 unisex name.

Social Security Administration records show Val recorded 5,657 times among boys since 1882, holding rank #4546 nationally today, ahead of 67% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.

  • #1,650 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #4,546 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 5,657 born since 1882
  • 1950s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Val ranks #1,650 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,546 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 5,657 born since 1882, peaking in the 1950s.

#1,650 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#4,546 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
5,657
born since 1882
1950s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%67.3%
Val vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Val's 5,657 recorded births place it above 96.37% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

22 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

22 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Utah.

How Val compares

5,657 Top 12% higher than 88% of 13,930 names currently given to boys

Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.

Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data

How the numbers stack up

Val's all-time total is 15x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Val Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 5,657 369 358,536
Peak-year births 178 34 22,252

Val's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Val's SSA record in two at 1960 and the more recent half accounts for 31% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 69%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1882, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1952 peak of 178, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Val popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1952)
178
Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
050100150200 188219131930194719641981199820162025 22

Val popularity over time - girls

1,749 total births recorded since 1908 (Val as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 1,749 births
050100150 190819191928193719461955196419732024 6

Val by decade

1950s is the heaviest window (1,475 births, 26% of the file).

1950s was Val's strongest decade.

1,475 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Val births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,475 births (26% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Val compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Val's total volume

Val vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8%10%12% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -27, 8.3%-146, 1.7%-113, 5.7%-28, 9.8%-38, 8.2%-81, 4.1%-51, 5.3%-57, 4.6%-140, 3.1%-71, 4.6%-38, 5.7%-113, 6%-78, 3.6%-22, 8.7%-56, 9.7%Val-144, 3.1%Val
Val vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Val by state

Where Val concentrates geographically, total births since 1882

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Val
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Utah
731 12.9%
#2 California
572 10.1%
#3 Texas
191 3.4%
#4 Idaho
186 3.3%
#5 New York
141 2.5%
#6 Illinois
124 2.2%
#7 Pennsylvania
90 1.6%
#8 Michigan
85 1.5%
Utah share of Val's total US births 12.9%
Even split

731 of 5,657 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.

Val appears in 22 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Val? ▼
Val has been given to 5,657 babies in the U.S. since 1882, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #1,650 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Among boys in 2025, it is #4,546 of 13,930. 178 babies were born in 1952, its single highest year.
Where does Val sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Val ranks #1,650 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,546 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Val most popular? ▼
Val was most popular in the 1950s decade with 1,475 total births. The single peak year was 1952.
Where is Val most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Val are Utah (731 births), California (572 births), Texas (191 births).
Is Val a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Val is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 5,657 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,749 births.
How long has the name Val been used? ▼
Records for Val go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Val? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Valentino, Valentin, Valentine, Valente, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Val's data

  • Val's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,475 total births); usage has since declined to 90 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Utah records the most Vals (731 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Utah names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Val

Nearby Names Like Val

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Val

Valentino Boy
#444 11,784 births
Valentin Boy
#660 11,723 births
Valentine Boy
#1794 6,711 births
Valente Boy
#3771 1,930 births
Valor Boy
#1254 1,492 births

Compare Val side by side: Val vs Valentino Val vs Valentin Val vs Valentine

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar popularity rank to Val

Elroy #4545
7,476 births · Peak 1922
Isac #4547
3,203 births · Peak 2006
Michel #4544
10,539 births · Peak 1957
Rexford #4548
2,648 births · Peak 1925
Clemente #4543
3,751 births · Peak 1996
Griffith #4549
1,550 births · Peak 1918
Osborne #4542
1,754 births · Peak 1915
Perrin #4550
1,568 births · Peak 2007

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Val: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Val draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.