Total births
1,866
Girls' name · since 1897
Valda
Valda has 1,866 recorded births since 1897 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 1,866
- total births
- 1897–1982
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1,866 girls have been named Valda since 1897, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Valda has 1,866 recorded births among girls since 1897, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 1982.
- 1,866 total births
- 1897–1982 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,866 girls have been named Valda since 1897, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 1982.
- 1,866
- total births
- 1897–1982
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Valda was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
62 babies were named Valda in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
Valda's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Valda's SSA record in two at 1939 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1897, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1957 peak of 62, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Valda at a glance
Last recorded 1982Peak year
1957
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1897
Valda popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–1982
- Peak year (1957)
- 62
- Annual births at peak, across 86 years of records
Valda by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Valda's strongest decade.
402 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Valda births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 10
1890s
10 births
- 1900s 61
1900s
61 births
- 1910s
1910s
261 births
- 1920s
1920s
365 births
- 1930s
1930s
274 births
- 1940s
1940s
222 births
- 1950s
1950s
402 births
- 1960s
1960s
224 births
- 1970s 41
1970s
41 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 402 births (22% of all-time use).
How Valda compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Valda's total volume
Valda vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Valda by state
Where Valda concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 105 | 5.6% |
| #2 | California | | 12 | 0.6% |
| #3 | Nebraska | | 11 | 0.6% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 8 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.3% |
Texas share of Valda's total US births 5.6%
Even split
105 of 1,866 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Valda appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Valda? ▼
Valda has been given to 1,866 babies in the U.S. since 1897, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1982. 62 babies were born in 1957, its single highest year.
When was Valda most popular? ▼
Valda was most popular in the 1950s decade with 402 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Valda most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Valda are Texas (105 births), California (12 births), Nebraska (11 births).
How long has the name Valda been used? ▼
Valda has been recorded in Social Security data since 1897, spanning 86 years of data through 1982.
What names are similar to Valda? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Valerie, Valeria, Valentina, Valarie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Valda's data
- Valda's decade-level peak was the 1950s (402 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Valdas (105 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Valda
Nearby Names Like Valda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Valda
Valerie Girl
#147 273,229 births
Valeria Girl
#162 80,052 births
Valentina Girl
#47 65,147 births
Valarie Girl
#2438 18,714 births
Valencia Girl
#1266 12,198 births
Compare Valda side by side: Valda vs Valerie Valda vs Valeria Valda vs Valentina
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1897–1982 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Valda: Baby Name Since 1897 - 1,866 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/valda. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Valda 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 June 2026.