Valerie

The name Valerie has been around in America since the government began tracking naming trends in 1880. At the turn of the 20th century, Valerie experienced low levels of success in terms of usage; however, as the first half of the century progressed, so did the name Valerie. By mid-century, Valerie was clearly a preferred name choice for little girls. The name’s peak of popularity happened during the 1950s and 60s, but she held onto a Top 100 spot up until 1988. In the past 20 years, Valerie has lingered around 150th place on the charts – which means this name is bestowed upon roughly 2,000 baby girls each year. The Spanish version of the name, Valeria, is currently more popular in America. Nonetheless, Valerie is very French which gives it an added element of simple sophistication and elegance (like Chloe, Julie, Daphne). They like Valerie in California where it was ranked #40 most popular girl’s name in 2010 – and after all, California is arguably a style-setting state. Valerie is a robust choice for little girls; “healthy and strong” like the name suggests. It’s not old-fashioned by any means, but it does contain a mid-century sensibility.