Boys' name · since 1914
Valerian
497 babies named Valerian in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7,925 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,410 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 497
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
Valerian currently ranks #4410 among boys' names in America, with 497 babies recorded since 1914.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Valerian has been recorded 497 times among boys since 1914, currently ranked #4410 nationally and more common than 68% 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 1914 to 2025.
- #7,925 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,410 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 497 born since 1914
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Valerian ranks #7,925 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,410 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 497 born since 1914, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7,925 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,410 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 497
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
Valerian's 497 recorded births place it above 82.57% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Valerian compares
497 Top 44% higher than 56% 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
Valerian's all-time total is 35% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Valerian | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 497 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 34 | 22,252 |
Valerian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Valerian's full recorded timeline at 1940, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1944, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2018 peak of 24 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Valerian popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Valerian popularity over time - girls
6 total births recorded since 1917 (Valerian as girls' name)
Valerian by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (101 births, 20% of the file).
1920s was Valerian's strongest decade.
101 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Valerian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
60 births
- 1920s
1920s
101 births
- 1930s
1930s
91 births
- 1940s
1940s
49 births
- 1950s 23
1950s
23 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 2000s 10
2000s
10 births
- 2010s
2010s
43 births
- 2020s
2020s
100 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 101 births (20% of all-time use).
Valerian by state
Where Valerian concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.0% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 5 | 1.0% |
5 of 497 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Valerian? ▼
Where does Valerian sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Valerian most popular? ▼
Where is Valerian most popular? ▼
How long has the name Valerian been used? ▼
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What to do with Valerian's data
- Valerian's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (101 total births) through the 2020s (100) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Valerians (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Valerian
Nearby Names Like Valerian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Valerian
Compare Valerian side by side: Valerian vs Valentino Valerian vs Valentin Valerian vs Valentine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Valerian
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Valerian: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2018)
Similar record span (~111 yrs)
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, 1914–2025 (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 Valerian 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.