2000
#2,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,720
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.46
Uncommon Last name
Valentin
Derived from the Latin name Valentinus, meaning "strong, healthy, or vigorous," originally a nickname for a sturdy person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,892 Americans carry the last name Valentin. That puts it at #1,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valentin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Valentin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 14,973
Census rank
#1,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,963 bearers of the surname Valentin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valentin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valentin
The surname Valentin has its origins in France and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin name Valentinus, which means "strong" or "vigorous." The name was originally given to a child born on the 14th of February, the day of the feast of Saint Valentine.
In the Middle Ages, the name Valentin was particularly common in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. It appears in several medieval records, including the Cartulaire de Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of charters from the 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Valentin was Valentin de Brie, a French nobleman who lived in the late 12th century. He was a vassal of the Count of Champagne and is mentioned in several contemporary documents related to land disputes.
During the 13th century, the surname Valentin began to spread across Europe, with notable bearers including Valentin de Luxemburg (c. 1230-1288), a German nobleman and knight who fought in the Crusades.
In the 14th century, the surname Valentin was well-established in France and appeared in various forms, such as Valentyn, Valentyne, and Valentin. One notable bearer from this period was Jehan Valentin (c. 1320-1380), a French poet and musician who served at the court of King Charles V.
Over the centuries, the surname Valentin has been carried by numerous individuals of note, including:
1. Pierre Valentin (1537-1597), a French physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant anatomy.
2. Benjamin Valentin (1685-1754), a German engraver and painter known for his intricate copperplate engravings.
3. Gabriel Gustav Valentin (1810-1883), a German anatomist and physiologist who made important discoveries in the field of embryology.
4. Basile Valentin (1815-1878), a French painter and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life in Normandy.
5. Juan Valentin (1923-2011), a Puerto Rican artist and sculptor renowned for his abstract metal sculptures.
While the surname Valentin is most commonly associated with France, it has also been adopted by families in other countries, including Germany, Spain, and various Latin American nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valentin
Among Census respondents with the surname Valentin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Valentin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Valentin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.8% · 16,923
- White8.7% · 1,727
- Black or African American4.0% · 798
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 351
- Two or more races0.7% · 138
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valentin
Valentin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,211
+4,491 bearers (+30.5%)
Per 100,000 6.51
Rank movement Up 397 places
2020
#1,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,963
+752 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 6.68
Rank movement Up 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,265 | 14,720 | 5.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,868 | 19,211 | 6.51 | +4,491 bearers (+30.5%) | Up 397 places |
| 2020 | #1,755 | 19,963 | 6.68 | +752 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 113 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Valentin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,868 | #1,755 | 6.0% |
| Count | 19,211 | 19,963 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 6.51 | 6.68 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valentin bearers went from 19,211 to 19,963 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,868 to #1,755.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Valentin
FAQ
Valentin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valentin?
Name Census estimates that about 22,892 living Americans carry the surname Valentin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,973 residents.
How common is Valentin?
Valentin ranks #1,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,963 people with the surname Valentin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,892), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Valentin.
Has Valentin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valentin went from 19,211 recorded bearers to 19,963. That is an increase of 752 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,868 to #1,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Valentin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valentin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Black (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Valentin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (16,923 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valentin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.8%), White (8.7%), Black (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Valentin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Valentin mean?
Derived from the Latin name Valentinus, meaning "strong, healthy, or vigorous," originally a nickname for a sturdy person. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Valentin (6.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Valentin?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Valentin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.