Total births
6,711
Unisex name · since 1880
Valentine
Valentine has 6,711 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2445
- among boys today
- 6,711
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Valentine is the #2445 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 6,711 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Valentine has been recorded 6,711 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2445 nationally and more common than 83% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2445 among boys today
- 6,711 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 83% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Valentine is currently the #2445 unisex name in America, more common than 83% of boys - 6,711 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2445
- among boys today
- 6,711
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
Valentine vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2445
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 83% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Valentine was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
142 babies were named Valentine in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Valentine compares
6,711 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Valentine's all-time total is 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Valentine | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,711 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 142 | 23 | 22,252 |
Valentine's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Valentine splits its recorded history at 1953: 40% of all births land in the more recent half, 60% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1880 (10 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 142 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Valentine at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#2,445
Active since
1880
Valentine popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 142
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Valentine popularity over time - girls
2,239 total births recorded since 1885 (Valentine as girls' name)
Valentine by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Valentine's strongest decade.
1,143 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Valentine births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 155
1880s
155 births
- 1890s 171
1890s
171 births
- 1900s 194
1900s
194 births
- 1910s
1910s
967 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,143 births
- 1930s
1930s
725 births
- 1940s
1940s
519 births
- 1950s
1950s
514 births
- 1960s 338
1960s
338 births
- 1970s 302
1970s
302 births
- 1980s 310
1980s
310 births
- 1990s 306
1990s
306 births
- 2000s 272
2000s
272 births
- 2010s 391
2010s
391 births
- 2020s 404
2020s
404 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,143 births (17% of all-time use).
How Valentine 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 Valentine's total volume
Valentine vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Valentine by state
Where Valentine concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 690 | 10.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 621 | 9.3% |
| #3 | California | | 458 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 457 | 6.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 219 | 3.3% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 129 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 115 | 1.7% |
| #8 | North Dakota | | 93 | 1.4% |
New York share of Valentine's total US births 10.3%
Even split
690 of 6,711 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Valentine appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Valentine? ▼
6,711 babies have been named Valentine since 1880. It currently ranks #2445 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 142 births.
When was Valentine most popular? ▼
Valentine was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,143 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Valentine most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Valentine are New York (690 births), Texas (621 births), California (458 births).
Is Valentine a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Valentine is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 6,711 births, and as a girl's name it has 2,239 births.
How long has the name Valentine been used? ▼
Records for Valentine go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Valentine? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Valentino, Valentin, Val, Valente, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Valentine's data
- Valentine's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (1,143 total births) through the 2020s (404) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Valentines (690 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Valentine
Nearby Names Like Valentine
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Valentine
Valentino Boy
#453 11,784 births
Valentin Boy
#748 11,723 births
Val Boy
#5457 5,657 births
Valente Boy
#3907 1,930 births
Valor Boy
#1466 1,492 births
Compare Valentine side by side: Valentine vs Valentino Valentine vs Valentin Valentine vs Val
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Valentine
Herbert #2444
228,266 births · Peak 1928
Brice #2446
15,737 births · Peak 1989
Chosyn #2443
251 births · Peak 2025
Robbie #2447
21,386 births · Peak 1963
Roran #2442
505 births · Peak 2024
Diamond #2448
2,564 births · Peak 1994
Shriyan #2441
517 births · Peak 2024
Paolo #2449
3,739 births · Peak 2007
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Valentine: #2445 Unisex Name - 6,711 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/valentine. 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 Valentine 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.