Valeria, Valerie

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “healthy.”
Eng (VAL-eh-REE); It (vah-LAY-ree-ah); Fre (VAH-lay-RHEE)

Valeria is the feminine form of the Latin Valerius, an ancient Roman clan name that indicated strength, boldness or health. The name was popularized in Europe via the cult of St. Valeria, a 2nd century Roman martyr, and the cult of St. Valérie of Limoges.

In the United States, Valerie currently ranks in as the 135th most popular female name (2008). The highest it ranked was in 1959 at # 60. In the Netherlands, she is the 136th most popular female name (2008). Its latinate form of Valeria currently stands as the 73rd most popular female name in the United States. In 2006, she was the 69th most popular female name in Chile and the 55th most popular in Spain.

Other forms of the name include:

• Valeria (Albanian/Italian/Latin/Norwegian/Romanian/Spanish/Swedish)
• Valèria (Catalan)
• Valérie (Czech: vah-LEHR-yeh)
• Valerie (Dutch/German/English/Swedish)
• Valériane (French)
• Valérie (French: VAH-lay-RHEE)
• Valérine (French)
• Valeska (German: an old diminutive form, short form is Leska, fairly common in Brazil, perhaps introduced via German immigrants).
• Valéria (Hungarian/Portuguese/Slovak)
• Valeriana (Latin/Italian/Spanish)
• Waleria (Polish: vah-LEHR-yah)
• Waleriana (Polish)
• Valeriya Валерия (Russian)
• Valerija (Slovene/Croatian/Latvian/Lithuanian/Serbian)
• Valerijana (Slovene)
• Valerina (Slovene/Italian)

A Slovakian diminutives is Valika, Russian diminutives are Valya and Lera, an English diminutive is Val, German diminutives are Vali and Lilli, Slovene diminutives are, Valči, Valčika andValčka. A French diminutives is Valé.

Masculine forms are

• Valery (English)
• Valerian (English)
• Valère/Valérien/Valéry (French)
• Vallier (French)
• Valeriano (Italian/Spanish)
• Valerino (Italian)
• Valerio (Italian/Spanish)
• Valiero (Italian)
• Valerianus (Latin)
• Walerian/Waleriusz/Walery (Polish)
• Valeriu (Romanian)
• Valeri Валерий (Russian)
• Valerij/Valerijan/Valerijano/Valerijo/Valerin/Valerjan (Slovene)

A Romanian diminutive form is Vali.

The designated name-days are: April 18 (Czech Republic), April 28, (France, Hungary), June 20 (Slovakia), June 7 (Bulgaria), June 20 (Russia) and December 9 (Lithuania and Croatia).