Valentina
val-en-TEE-nah
Valentina is the feminine form of Valentinus, from Latin “valens” (strong, healthy). The root also appears in “valid,” “value,” and “valiant.”
Saint Valentine of Rome, martyred around 269 AD, is the most famous bearer of the masculine form.
His feast day on February 14 became associated with romantic love through Chaucer’s “Parliament of Fowls” (c. 1382), where birds choose mates on that date.
What the name Valentina means
Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937) became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963, aboard Vostok 6.
The name has ranked among the top 5 girls’ names in Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico for much of the early 21st century, sustained by the prestige of Italian-origin names in those cultures.
Fashion house Valentino, founded in 1960, kept the root name linked to Italian elegance and high fashion.
Valentina entered the U.S. top 100 in 2012 and the top 50 by 2018. As of 2024, it ranks No. 47 with 4,438 births, the highest position in the name’s American history, reflecting broad crossover appeal.
Short forms include Val and Tina. The masculine counterparts Valentin and Valentino chart independently in multiple countries across Europe and Latin America.
The Proto-Indo-European root “wal-” (strong) underlies all Valentinus-derived names across the Romance languages.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Valentina
Valentina - similar names
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Ways to spell Valentina
| Variant | Language |
|---|---|
| Valentine | French/English |
| Valentia | Latin |
| Valentyna | Ukrainian |