Valeria
Meaning of Valeria
Valeria is the feminine form of Valerius, the name of a prominent family in ancient Rome. It is usually traced to the Latin verb valere, meaning to be strong or healthy. In English it is pronounced vuh-LAIR-ee-uh, and in Spanish bah-LEH-ryah.
In Christian tradition, Saint Valeria of Milan is remembered as an early martyr. The name is familiar in Italy and across the Spanish-speaking world. A well-known bearer is Italian actress and director Valeria Golino, who appeared in Rain Man and twice won Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.
In the United States, Valeria climbed from 616th place in 1991 to a peak of 72nd in 2009. It dropped back over the next few years but has held fairly steady since the mid-2010s, ranking 162nd in 2025 with 1,835 babies.
Pronunciation
Spanish
- Pronunced as bah-LEH-ryah (/baˈleɾja/)
American English
- Pronunced as vuh-LAIR-ee-uh (/vəˈlɛriə/)
British English
- Pronunced as vuh-LAIR-ee-uh (/vəˈlɪəriə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Valeria
| Valeria Golino is an Italian actress and director known for Rain Man and for twice winning Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. |
| Valeria Paula Molinero is an Argentinian physicist and University of Utah theoretical chemistry professor recognized for simulating material behavior, earning the 2023 APS Irving Langmuir Award in Chemical Physics. |
| Valeria Raquel Mazza is an Argentine model and businesswoman who rose to fame in the 1990s after appearing on the cover of the 1996 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. |
| Valeria Bilello is a notable Italian actress and model. |
| Valeria Savinykh is a Russian professional tennis player. |
| Valeria Montaldi is an Italian journalist and author. |
| Valeria Bystritskaia is a Russian German actress and model who moved to Germany as a child and was crowned Miss Universe Germany in 2011. |
| Valeria Sergeevna Mikhailova is a Russian figure skater. |
| Valeria Vatkina is an individual rhythmic gymnast who began competing in 1986. |
| Valeria Soledad Baroni is an actress, singer, and dancer best known for hosting Disney Channel Latin America's Zapping Zone and starring in High School Musical The Challenge. |
| Valeria Răcilă - Valeria Racila is a retired Romanian rower who won bronzes in double and quad sculls at the 1980 Olympics and 1979 and 1981 worlds, then switched to single sculls to win 1984 Olympic gold and world silvers in 1982 and 1985. |
| Valeria De Franciscis was an Italian actress who earned a David di Donatello Best Supporting Actress nomination at age 96 for playing the mother of Gianni in The Salt of Life. |
| Valeria Cavalli is an Italian actress and model. |
| Valéria Szervánszky - Valeria Szervanszky is a Hungarian classical pianist born in Budapest and now based in the United Kingdom. |
