Valero
A Spanish surname likely rooted in Latin meaning “strong” or “healthy.”
The #7,177 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 66,254 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Valero is generally explained from Latin valere, meaning “to be strong,” “to be well,” or “to be worthy.” In Spanish it likely began as a descriptive name or personal name based on strength or vigor, rather than from a place-name. The old sources also connect it with early medieval records, showing it was in use in Iberia by at least the 11th century.
History
The surname is found in Spanish historical records quite early, and the excerpts mention a Valero in an 11th-century document from Oviedo. Over time it remained a Spanish surname and later spread through Spanish-speaking regions. In modern times it is best known as a Hispanic surname, including in Spain and the Americas.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Valero also gives English words like “valiant,” all tied to the idea of strength or worth.
From the historical record
“provenzal. Valero y Valew^. Valeimis (del verbo latino valere i ser fuerte, vigoroso). Valero^ testigo en escritura del 1075, en el libro gótico de la cate- dral de Oviedo. Velarde ó Belarde. Bey^aldns ; del radical tu-”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos