Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1956

Val

Meaning A male given name, a short form of Valentine and Valerius Gender Unisex · 24% girls Rank 2025 #4,692 Trend ↑ Rising 162%

A male given name, a short form of Valentine and Valerius.

Rank 2025
#4,692
among boys · ↑944 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
22
named Val · -4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 77,640
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1956
253 babies
All-time total
7,406
#1,650 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Val popularity over time

7,406 babies have been named Val since 1882, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 15 15 2 – #1,087
1890s – 19 19 2 +27% #847
1900s 9 56 65 7 +242% #856
1910s 69 237 306 31 +371% #997
1920s 111 436 547 55 +79% #881
1930s 167 701 868 87 +59% #666
1940s 198 972 1,170 117 +35% #591
1950s 703 1,475 2,178 218 +86% #527
1960s 415 801 1,216 122 -44% #712
1970s 48 356 404 40 -67% #1,079
1980s 11 147 158 16 -61% #2,085
1990s – 151 151 15 -4% #3,014
2000s – 119 119 12 -21% #3,912
2010s – 82 82 8 -31% #6,652
2020s (to 2025) 18 90 108 18 +120% #4,692

Where Val is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 25 0.01 outside top 500
2027 29 0.02 outside top 500
2028 32 0.02 outside top 500
2029 35 0.02 outside top 500
2030 38 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Val

Val is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,692 in 2025 with 22 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 7,406 American babies have been named Val, about 76% boys and 24% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1956, when 253 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Val stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Val?

The median living Val is about 67 years old; half are between 58 and 73. An estimated 4,500 people named Val are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Val year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 22 #4,692
2024 6 #15,121 17 #5,636
2023 6 #15,049 19 #5,241
2022 6 #15,167 16 #5,849
2021 – – 10 #8,116
2020 – – 6 #11,926
2019 – – 10 #8,164
2018 – – 8 #9,607
2017 – – 12 #7,068
2016 – – 6 #12,076
2015 – – 13 #6,652
2014 – – 10 #8,080
2013 – – – –
2012 – – 7 #10,688
2011 – – 8 #9,544
2010 – – 8 #9,628
2009 – – 9 #8,945
2008 – – 6 #12,457
2007 – – 8 #9,732
2006 – – 11 #7,391
2005 – – 13 #6,200
2004 – – 12 #6,499
2003 – – 13 #5,865
2002 – – 14 #5,382
2001 – – 12 #5,990
2000 – – 21 #3,912
1995 – – 9 #6,383
1990 – – 16 #3,766
1985 5 #12,428 16 #3,063
1980 6 #10,341 23 #2,280
1975 – – 27 #1,833
1970 11 #5,047 58 #1,079
1965 24 #2,535 73 #865
1960 75 #1,279 122 #712
1955 73 #1,174 150 #606
1950 36 #1,573 138 #580
1945 21 #1,871 71 #733
1940 19 #1,895 84 #666
1935 14 #2,297 77 #692
1930 11 #2,828 65 #809
1925 14 #2,607 40 #1,120
1920 15 #2,454 37 #1,207
1915 14 #2,247 28 #1,261
1910 – – 6 #1,574
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 7 #1,154
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 6 #988
1885 – – 5 #1,090
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Val

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Val Kilmer Val Kilmer American actor (1959–2025) Contemporary
  2. 2 Val McDermid Val McDermid Scottish crime novel writer (born 1955) Contemporary
  3. 3 Val Venis Val Venis Canadian professional wrestler (born 1971) Contemporary
  4. 4 Val Demings Val Demings American politician (born 1957) Contemporary
  5. 5 Val Valentino American magic-exposure television specials b. 1956 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Val Logsdon Fitch Val Logsdon Fitch American nuclear physicist 1923–2015 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Val, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Val?

The median living Val is about 67 years old. Half of all living Vals are between 58 and 73 years old.

How many people named Val are alive today?

An estimated 4,500 people named Val are alive in the United States, based on 7,406 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Val mean?

A male given name, a short form of Valentine and Valerius.

How popular is the name Val in 2025?

Val ranked #4,692 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 22 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Val?

7,406 babies have been named Val in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Val most popular?

Val peaked in 1956, when 253 newborns received the name.

Is Val a boy or girl name?

Val is used for both: about 24% of babies named Val have been girls and 76% boys.

Is the name Val rising or falling?

Val is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Val become more popular?

Val is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 38 boys named Val in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Val?

Well-known people named Val include Val Kilmer (actor), Val McDermid (writer), Val Venis (wrestler).

Names like Val

Names that sound and feel close to Val: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Val with similar names → More names starting with V →