Vala
A feminine Scandinavian name meaning "choice" or "valiant one".
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the first name Vala. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vala today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vala births was 2011 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vala. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
167
~ 1 in 2,052,421 Americans
Peak year
2011
13 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,353
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Vala: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vala from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 76 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Vala remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vala by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Vala during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vala
The name Vala has its origins in Scandinavian and Nordic languages, where it is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "vǫlva," meaning "staff-bearer" or "wand-bearer." This term referred to a female shaman or seeress in Norse mythology who carried a staff or wand and had the ability to prophecize and communicate with the gods.
In Norse mythology, the Vala was a revered figure, often depicted as an elderly woman with prophetic powers. She played a significant role in various mythological tales, such as the Völuspá, one of the oldest and most famous poems in the Poetic Edda, where a Vala recounts the creation of the world and its eventual destruction.
The earliest known historical reference to the name Vala can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in Icelandic sagas and manuscripts. One notable figure from this period was Vala Hallsdóttir (c. 1240-1310), an Icelandic chieftain's daughter and a prominent figure in the Sturlunga saga, a collection of Icelandic sagas from the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the name Vala gained popularity in England, particularly among Puritan families who drew inspiration from biblical names. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England was Vala Savile (c. 1550-1630), an English landowner and benefactor from Yorkshire.
Throughout history, the name Vala has been associated with several notable individuals, including:
1. Vala Frid (1913-2001), a Swedish artist and sculptor known for her abstract and modernist works.
2. Vala Nuredini (born 1982), a Kosovar singer and actress who has gained popularity in the Balkans.
3. Vala Mallinson (1901-1996), a British actress and writer who appeared in numerous stage productions and films.
4. Vala Måsteng (born 1980), a Norwegian politician and member of the Conservative Party who served as a member of the Storting (Norwegian parliament).
5. Vala Farid (born 1956), an Iranian painter and sculptor known for her abstract and surrealist works.
While the name Vala has its roots in Norse mythology and Scandinavian languages, it has transcended its cultural boundaries and gained recognition in various parts of the world, often carrying connotations of mysticism, prophecy, and artistic expression.
People
Vala + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vala as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vala: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vala?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 167 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vala going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,052,421 US residents.
Is Vala a common name?
We classify Vala as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 206 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vala most popular?
The single biggest year for Vala was 2011, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vala is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vala a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vala in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.