Find out how popular the last name Valentine is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Valentine.

Valentine, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Valentine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valentine in America

Valentine is the 856th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valentine surname appeared 40,395 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Valentine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valentine to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Valentine

The surname Valentine is of Latin origin, derived from the Roman name Valentinus, which itself comes from the Latin word "valens" meaning "strong" or "healthy". The name was particularly popular during the Roman Empire and the early Christian era, likely due to the veneration of St. Valentine, a 3rd-century Christian martyr.

In England, the surname Valentine can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman families with the name settled in various parts of the country. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Richard Valentine in Hertfordshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Valentine was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, where several notable families bearing the name held lands and estates. One of the earliest recorded examples is that of Sir John Valentine, a prominent landowner in Suffolk who lived in the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Valentine family established themselves as prominent merchants and traders in the city of London. One of the most notable members of this family was Benjamin Valentine (c. 1570-1652), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who served as an alderman and sheriff of London.

Another notable figure was Richard Valentine (1585-1661), an English lawyer and member of Parliament who played a significant role in the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and served as a judge during the Commonwealth period.

In the 17th century, the surname Valentine gained further prominence with the birth of Thomas Valentine (1617-1679), an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Whittington in Derbyshire. He is best known for his work "The Spiritual Guide", a popular devotional book of the time.

Across the Atlantic, the Valentine surname can be found among early settlers in colonial America. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Valentine, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and became a prominent landowner and planter in the colony.

Throughout its history, the surname Valentine has been associated with various notable individuals, including the English poet and playwright Robert Valentine (1671-1747), the American Revolutionary War soldier Joseph Valentine (1741-1811), and the British mathematician and mathematician George Valentine (1810-1884).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valentine

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Valentine.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Valentine was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Valentine has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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