Valentina first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Valentina has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Valentina

From the Latin valentia, meaning strong, healthy, and brave.

Popularity of Valentina by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Valentina is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Valentina being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 4,075 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Valentina.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 0 4,075
2022 0 3,881
2021 0 3,464
2020 0 3,349
2019 0 3,793
2018 0 3,434
2017 0 3,040
2016 0 2,919
2015 0 2,751
2014 0 2,781
2013 0 2,564
2012 0 1,904
2011 7 2,018
2010 0 2,004
2009 0 1,584
2008 0 1,291
2007 0 829
2006 0 724
2005 0 657
2004 0 611
2003 0 654
2002 0 427
2001 0 399
2000 0 325
1999 0 269
1998 0 256
1997 0 231
1996 0 203
1995 0 194
1994 0 195
1993 0 184
1992 0 120
1991 0 116
1990 0 135
1989 0 122
1988 0 91
1987 0 114
1986 0 96
1985 0 100
1984 0 62
1983 0 88
1982 0 68
1981 0 90
1980 0 77
1979 0 66
1978 0 56
1977 0 57
1976 0 60
1975 0 67
1974 0 47

The history of the first name Valentina

Valentina is a feminine given name of Latin origin, derived from the root "valens" meaning "strong" or "vigorous." It is closely related to the masculine name Valentinus and the Latin word "valentia," which translates to "strength" or "valor." The name traces its roots back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a personal name during the Roman Imperial period.

The earliest recorded use of the name Valentina can be found in various historical documents dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. One notable example is Saint Valentina, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century and was killed during the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus. Her feast day is celebrated on April 14th in the Catholic Church.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Valentina remained relatively uncommon, but gained popularity during the Renaissance period. One of the earliest recorded instances of a prominent figure bearing the name was Valentina Visconti (1368-1408), a member of the powerful Visconti family who ruled Milan in the 14th and 15th centuries.

In the 16th century, the name Valentina appeared in several literary works, including the play "The Spanish Tragedy" by Thomas Kyd, where it was used as the name of a character. Around the same time, Valentina Cybo (1519-1589), an Italian noblewoman and member of the powerful Cybo family, also bore the name.

During the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Valentina Semiramis Dolgorukova (1708-1743), a Russian princess and lady-in-waiting to the Empress Anna of Russia. She played a significant role in the political intrigues of the Russian court during her lifetime.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable figures with the name Valentina was the Russian ballerina Valentina Semyonova (1846-1868), who was a leading prima ballerina at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and renowned for her performances in classical ballets.

Another prominent Valentina from the 20th century was Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937), the first woman to fly in space. She was a Soviet cosmonaut who made history in 1963 when she became the first woman to go into space aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Valentina was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Valentina, please contact us.

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"Valentina first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/valentina-meaning-and-history/.

"Valentina first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/valentina-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 13 December, 2024

Valentina first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/valentina-meaning-and-history/.

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