Total births
1,372
Unisex name · since 1959
Valen
1,372 babies named Valen in U.S. Social Security records since 1959, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1676
- among boys today
- 1,372
- born since 1959
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Valen is the #1676 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 1,372 recorded since 1959.
Social Security Administration records show Valen recorded 1,372 times among boys since 1959, holding rank #1676 nationally today, ahead of 88% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1959 to 2025.
- #1676 among boys today
- 1,372 born since 1959
- 2020s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Valen is currently the #1676 unisex name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 1,372 born since 1959, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1676
- among boys today
- 1,372
- born since 1959
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Valen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1676
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Valen was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
105 babies were named Valen in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Valen compares
1,372 Top 26% higher than 74% of 14,294 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
Valen's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Valen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,372 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 105 | 23 | 22,252 |
Valen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Valen's full recorded timeline at 2006, 85% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 15% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1987, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 105 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Valen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#1,676
Active since
1959
Valen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1959–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 105
- Annual births at peak, across 67 years of records
Valen popularity over time - girls
508 total births recorded since 1951 (Valen as girls' name)
Valen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Valen's strongest decade.
534 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Valen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 7
1950s
7 births
- 1980s 22
1980s
22 births
- 1990s 74
1990s
74 births
- 2000s 205
2000s
205 births
- 2010s
2010s
530 births
- 2020s
2020s
534 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 534 births (39% of all-time use).
How Valen 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 Valen's total volume
Valen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Valen by state
Where Valen concentrates geographically, total births since 1959
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 159 | 11.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 112 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 25 | 1.8% |
| #4 | New York | | 25 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 16 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 15 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 11 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 11 | 0.8% |
California share of Valen's total US births 11.6%
Even split
159 of 1,372 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Valen appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Valen? ▼
1,372 babies have been named Valen since 1959. It currently ranks #1676 among boys. The peak year was 2025 with 105 births.
When was Valen most popular? ▼
Valen was most popular in the 2020s decade with 534 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Valen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Valen are California (159 births), Texas (112 births), Florida (25 births).
Is Valen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Valen is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,372 births, and as a girl's name it has 508 births.
How long has the name Valen been used? ▼
Valen has been recorded in Social Security data since 1959, spanning 67 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Valen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Valentino, Valentin, Valentine, Val, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Valen's data
- California records the most Valens (159 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Valen
Nearby Names Like Valen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Valen
Valentino Boy
#453 11,784 births
Valentin Boy
#748 11,723 births
Valentine Boy
#2445 6,711 births
Val Boy
#5457 5,657 births
Valente Boy
#3907 1,930 births
Compare Valen side by side: Valen vs Valentino Valen vs Valentin Valen vs Valentine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Valen
Sky #1675
4,205 births · Peak 2014
Destin #1677
6,124 births · Peak 2001
Aleksander #1674
4,166 births · Peak 2014
Kobi #1678
1,971 births · Peak 2000
Marlo #1673
3,680 births · Peak 2023
Arrow #1679
1,717 births · Peak 2018
Aziah #1672
1,074 births · Peak 2025
Devonte #1680
11,773 births · Peak 1992
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, 1959–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Valen: #1676 Unisex Name - 1,372 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/valen. 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 Valen 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.