NameCensus.
Very Rare

Valak

A demonic name relating to profane matters and malicious deception.

Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Valak. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Valak today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Valak births was 2019 (5 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Valak. 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.

Key insights

  • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Valak. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

5

~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans

Peak year

2019

5 babies that year

Average age

7

years old

2019 SSA rank

#13,983

Tracked since 2019

Popularity

Valak: popularity over time

Babies born per year

01345

Decades

Valak 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 Valak during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
2010s505

Origin

Meaning and history of Valak

The name Valak is believed to have its origins in Mesopotamian mythology, dating back to the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in the region of modern-day Iraq around 3500-2000 BC. It is derived from the Sumerian word "val-ak," which translates to "the defiler" or "the profaner."

In ancient Sumerian texts, Valak was depicted as a powerful and malevolent demonic entity associated with the underworld and the spread of diseases. The name was often invoked in rituals and incantations to ward off evil spirits and protect against malignant forces.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Valak can be found in the Babylonian cuneiform tablets, which date back to around 1800 BC. These tablets contain accounts of exorcism rituals and magical spells, where Valak is described as a fearsome demon capable of inflicting harm and misfortune upon those who dare to invoke its presence.

In the Middle Ages, the name Valak gained notoriety in various occult and demonological texts, such as the "Lesser Key of Solomon," a grimoire of ceremonial magic from the 17th century. In this work, Valak is depicted as one of the prominent demons and is described as a powerful spirit with the ability to provide knowledge of the hidden secrets of the world.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Valak was Valak the Terrible, a ruthless warlord who lived in the 5th century AD and ruled over a vast territory in what is now modern-day Iran. He was known for his brutal military campaigns and his merciless treatment of those who opposed him.

Another notable figure was Valak the Scribe, a renowned scholar and calligrapher who lived in the 9th century AD in the city of Baghdad, during the Golden Age of the Islamic Caliphate. He was renowned for his intricate and beautiful calligraphic works, which adorned the walls of many mosques and palaces throughout the region.

In the 13th century, there was a famous Sufi mystic named Valak al-Din Rumi, who was renowned for his spiritual teachings and poetry. His works, such as the Masnavi, have had a profound influence on Islamic mysticism and literature throughout the centuries.

During the Renaissance period, Valak the Alchemist, a mysterious figure shrouded in legend, was said to have lived in the 16th century. He was believed to have possessed vast knowledge of the occult and was rumored to have discovered the elixir of life, though the veracity of these claims remains uncertain.

In more recent times, one of the most well-known individuals with the name Valak was Valak Shahi, a renowned Afghan military commander who played a crucial role in the resistance against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. He was widely respected for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

People

Valak + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Valak 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

Valak: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Valak?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Valak 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 68,550,868 US residents.

Is Valak a common name?

We classify Valak as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Valak most popular?

The single biggest year for Valak was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Valak is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Valak in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.

Is Valak a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Valak in the SSA data are male. 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.

Is Valak still being used today?

Yes. The SSA still recorded Valak in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.

Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Valak can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.

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.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.

How many Americans are named Valak?

See how many people share the name Valak on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.

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Valak

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