embrisa.
embrisa.
Theme
Feminine

Valeria

/vəˈlɛr.i.ə/

Strong, healthy

Latin

How to say it

va · LER · i · a

/vəˈlɛr.i.ə/

What it means

Latin Valeria, from valere ('to be strong, to be healthy'). Same root as Valerie, Valentina, and the English 'valor' and 'valid.' Saint Valeria of Milan is the patron-saint anchor; Valeria Golino the Italian actress is the modern Italian-language one.

Valeria comes from the Latin Valerius/Valeria, from valere ('to be strong, to be healthy'). The same root gives Valerie, Valentina, Valentin, and the English words 'valor' and 'valid.' The Valeria gens was an ancient Roman noble family; Saint Valeria of Milan (martyred c. AD 170) is the early-Christian anchor. Valeria Messalina was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. Valeria Golino the Italian actress (born 1965, Rain Man, Hot Shots!) gives the modern Italian-language anchor; Valeria Mazza the Argentine model anchors the Spanish-language one. As a US given name Valeria has been steady in the top 200 since 2000 with strong Spanish-speaking community uptake. Common short: Val, Vale, or Lera.

Popularity over time

#10 #100 #1000 #1 #128518802025

peaked at #72 in 2009, currently #162 in 2025.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving

Heads-up notes

  • Pronunciation

    vah-LER-ee-ah in Spanish (four syllables, stress on the second); vah-LAIR-ee-ah in English. The Italian and Spanish lean Latin-classical.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

  • Valeria Golino Italian actress, Rain Man and Hot Shots!
  • Valeria Messalina Third wife of Roman emperor Claudius

Spelling variants

  • Valerie
  • Valentina
  • Valeriya