Valerie facts for kids

The name Valerie is a popular name mostly given to girls. It comes from the French name Valérie and the Latin name Valeria. This name is very common in many countries, including the United States.

Many famous people are named Valerie, such as actress Valerie Harper and Valerie Perrine. The name is also used in many songs. It is even on the list of names for Atlantic hurricanes!

Meaning and History of the Name Valerie

The name Valerie has a long and interesting history. It mostly comes from Romance languages, which are languages like French, Spanish, and Italian that developed from Latin.

Latin Roots

The name comes from an old Roman family name, Valerius. This Latin name meant "strong," "healthy," or "brave." Valeria is simply the female version of Valerius. As time passed, these names traveled through French into many other languages.

Saints and Popularity

In Catholic parts of Europe, people often named their children after saints. This meant that a name's popularity often depended on how important a saint was. Several important saints were named Valerie, and they were honored a lot in the Middle Ages.

One of the most famous was St Valerie of Limoges in France. Her story helped spread the name. People on the important Way of St James pilgrimage often honored her. She also became a favorite subject for artists who made ceramics a long time ago.

Many of the different ways to spell Valerie today, like Valarie or Valery, became popular more recently, mostly in the 1900s. Sometimes, these new spellings became popular because of songs.

Germanic Connection

The male name Valéry can be a bit confusing. While it's usually related to Valérie, it can also come from an old Germanic name called Walaric (or Walric). This Germanic name means "foreign power."

An important person with a similar name was Walric, abbot of Leuconay. You might see French place names like “Saint-Valéry.” Sometimes, this refers to St Walric, showing the connection to the Germanic origin.