Valentine
A surname from the personal name Valentine, ultimately from Latin for “strong” or “healthy.”
The #856 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,643 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from the baptismal name Valentine, which entered English through Old French and Anglo-French forms. Those names go back to Latin Valentinus, from valens, meaning “strong,” “vigorous,” or “healthy.” In surname use, it is usually a family name taken from an ancestor’s given name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
Medieval and early modern records show Valentine in Britain as a personal-name surname, and the name remained common enough to produce later spellings such as Vallentine. Some 19th-century writers also noted a south-of-England corruption into Follington, though that is best treated as a local variant rather than the main origin. The surname is also found in France and other parts of Europe, reflecting the wide spread of the given name through Christian saintly influence.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Valentine also lies behind words like “valiant” and “valor,” all sharing the sense of strength.
From the historical record
“VAIZEYJ VALENTINE (A.-Fr.-Lat.) the YrenchValentin, m., Valentine, f., Lat. Valentin-us, -a [f. Lat. valens, valentis, strong, healthy] VALLANCE 1 (A.-Fr.-Lat.) Bel. to Valence VALLENCE J (several in France) = the Stronghold [Lat. Valentia ; i. valens,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)