Valen
Of Latin origin, meaning "the strong one", "to be strong", or "strength".
Name Census estimates that about 1,720 living Americans carry the first name Valen. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 72.4% of registrations being male. The average person named Valen today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Valen births was 2023 (124 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Valen. 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
- • Valen was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
- • Valen is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 15 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.7K
~ 1 in 199,276 Americans
Peak year
2023
124 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,704
Tracked since 1951
Gender
Gender distribution for Valen
Valen is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,747 total registrations, 1,265 (72.4%) were male and 482 (27.6%) were female.
Valen as a male name
- Ranked #1,704 in 2024
- 98 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (102 births)
Valen as a female name
- Ranked #5,409 in 2024
- 24 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (25 births)
Popularity
Valen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Valen from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 660 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Valen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Valen 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 Valen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Valens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Valen, while Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Valen
The name Valen is derived from the Latin word "valens," which means "strong" or "healthy." Its origins can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a surname for families with members who were known for their physical prowess or resilience.
In the early days of Christianity, the name gained popularity as a given name, particularly among followers of the faith. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Valen can be found in the writings of St. Jerome, a 4th-century scholar and theologian who mentioned a Roman noble named Valen in his letters.
During the Middle Ages, the name was widely used throughout Europe, particularly in regions with strong Roman Catholic influences. One notable bearer of the name was Valen de Bierzo, a 9th-century Benedictine monk and scholar from the Kingdom of León in modern-day Spain.
In the Renaissance period, the name experienced a resurgence in popularity, with several notable figures bearing the name. Valen Acidalius (1567-1595) was a German scholar and critic known for his work on ancient Greek and Roman literature. Valen Ouwerx (1590-1638) was a Flemish artist renowned for his religious paintings and frescoes.
As the centuries passed, the name continued to be used in various parts of Europe and beyond. Valen Nauyox (1766-1837) was a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. Valen Onorato (1842-1911) was an Italian composer and music teacher who wrote several operas and chamber works.
In more recent times, the name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions. Valen Pazzis (1906-1989) was an Italian-American artist known for his abstract expressionist paintings. Valen Homenaje (1925-2012) was a Spanish writer and poet who explored themes of existentialism and human nature in his works.
While the name Valen is not as common as it once was, it continues to be used in various cultures and regions, carrying with it a rich historical legacy and associations of strength, resilience, and cultural significance.
People
Valen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Valen 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
Valen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Valen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,720 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Valen 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 199,276 US residents.
Is Valen a common name?
We classify Valen as "Rare". It ranks above 93.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,747 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Valen most popular?
The single biggest year for Valen was 2023, when 124 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Valen is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Valen a male name?
Yes, 72.4% of people registered as Valen 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.
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.