Total births
273,229
Girls' name · since 1884
Valerie
Since 1884, U.S. Social Security records show 273,229 babies named Valerie, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #147
- among girls today
- 273,229
- born since 1884
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 99.2%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Valerie is the #147 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 273,229 recorded since 1884.
Valerie has 273,229 recorded births among girls since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #147 as of the latest data, more common than 99.2% of girls, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #147 among girls today
- 273,229 born since 1884
- 1960s peak decade
- 99.2% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Valerie is currently the #147 girls' name in America, more common than 99.2% of girls - 273,229 born since 1884, peaking in the 1960s.
- #147
- among girls today
- 273,229
- born since 1884
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 99.2%
- more common than other girls
Valerie vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#147
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.2% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Valerie was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
7,302 babies were named Valerie in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Valerie compares
273,229 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Valerie's all-time total is 715x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Valerie | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 273,229 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 7,302 | 48 | 19,840 |
Valerie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Valerie's SSA record in two at 1956 and the more recent half accounts for 83% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 17%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1888, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 7,302, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Valerie at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1959
Current rank
#147
Active since
1884
Valerie popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 7,302
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Valerie popularity over time - boys
693 total births recorded since 1936 (Valerie as boys' name)
Valerie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Valerie's strongest decade.
56,588 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Valerie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 32
1880s
32 births
- 1890s 141
1890s
141 births
- 1900s 259
1900s
259 births
- 1910s 1,314
1910s
1,314 births
- 1920s 1,710
1920s
1,710 births
- 1930s 3,960
1930s
3,960 births
- 1940s 13,694
1940s
13,694 births
- 1950s
1950s
52,230 births
- 1960s
1960s
56,588 births
- 1970s
1970s
33,810 births
- 1980s
1980s
34,629 births
- 1990s 22,012
1990s
22,012 births
- 2000s 21,962
2000s
21,962 births
- 2010s 19,013
2010s
19,013 births
- 2020s 11,875
2020s
11,875 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 56,588 births (21% of all-time use).
How Valerie 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 Valerie's total volume
Valerie vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Valerie by state
Where Valerie concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 43,783 | 16.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 25,898 | 9.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 23,583 | 8.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 14,668 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 13,514 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 10,967 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Florida | | 10,566 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 9,781 | 3.6% |
California share of Valerie's total US births 16.0%
Even split
43,783 of 273,229 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Valerie appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Valerie? ▼
273,229 babies have been named Valerie since 1884. It currently ranks #147 among girls. The peak year was 1959 with 7,302 births.
When was Valerie most popular? ▼
Valerie was most popular in the 1960s decade with 56,588 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Valerie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Valerie are California (43,783 births), New York (25,898 births), Texas (23,583 births).
How long has the name Valerie been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Valerie since 1884 -- 142 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Valerie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Valeria, Valentina, Valarie, Valencia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Valerie's data
- Valerie's decade-level peak was the 1960s (56,588 total births); usage has since declined to 11,875 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Valeries (43,783 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 Valerie
Nearby Names Like Valerie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Valerie
Valeria Girl
#162 80,052 births
Valentina Girl
#47 65,147 births
Valarie Girl
#2438 18,714 births
Valencia Girl
#1266 12,198 births
Valery Girl
#785 8,825 births
Compare Valerie side by side: Valerie vs Valeria Valerie vs Valentina Valerie vs Valarie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Valerie
Sage #146
30,454 births · Peak 2022
Wrenley #148
7,948 births · Peak 2024
Remi #145
22,881 births · Peak 2022
Hallie #149
40,376 births · Peak 2025
Brielle #144
49,830 births · Peak 2018
Kehlani #150
14,481 births · Peak 2025
Alana #143
68,264 births · Peak 2007
Emerson #151
34,050 births · Peak 2025
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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Valerie: #147 Girls' Name - 273,229 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/valerie. 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 Valerie 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.