Total births
497
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.
- #5933
- among boys today
- 497
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 58%
- more common than other boys
Valerian currently ranks #5933 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 #5933 nationally and more common than 58% 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.
- #5933 among boys today
- 497 born since 1914
- 1920s peak decade
- 58% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Valerian is currently the #5933 boys' name in America, more common than 58% of boys - 497 born since 1914, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5933
- among boys today
- 497
- born since 1914
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 58%
- more common than other boys
Valerian vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5933
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 58% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Valerian was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
24 babies were named Valerian in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Valerian compares
497 Top 44% higher than 56% 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
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 (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 497 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2018
Current rank
#5,933
Active since
1914
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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% |
California share of Valerian's total US births 1.0%
Even split
5 of 497 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Valerian? ▼
Valerian has been given to 497 babies in the U.S. since 1914, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5933 as of the latest data. 24 babies were born in 2018, its single highest year.
When was Valerian most popular? ▼
Valerian was most popular in the 1920s decade with 101 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Valerian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Valerian are California (5 births), Minnesota (5 births).
How long has the name Valerian been used? ▼
Valerian has been recorded in Social Security data since 1914, spanning 112 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Valerian? ▼
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 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
- 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 Valerian
Nearby Names Like Valerian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Valerian
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 Valerian side by side: Valerian vs Valentino Valerian vs Valentin Valerian vs Valentine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Valerian
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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Valerian: #5933 Boys' Name - 497 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/valerian. 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 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 June 2026.