Valle
A surname from the word for “valley,” often used for someone who lived near or came from a valley.
The #1,104 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,735 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Valle comes from Latin vallis, meaning “valley.” In Romance languages this stayed as a common word for a valley, so the surname could be applied to someone who lived by a valley or was identified with a place called Valle, de Valle, or del Valle. The historical excerpts also show Norman and French forms such as de Valle, which point to the same basic place-based meaning.
History
The name appears in medieval records in forms like de Valle and de Vale, especially in Norman and English contexts, showing early use as a locational byname. In Spanish and Italian families, Valle is also a straightforward topographic surname, and related forms such as Della Valle or Del Valle are widespread. The surname is common in several Romance-language regions and later spread through migration to the Americas and elsewhere.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Valle also gave English words like “valley” through French influence, so the surname and the common noun are closely related.
From the historical record
“Baronage. The name is local, and signifies " the curved valley." In charters it is usually latinized De Valle Torta. VALLINGS. The oldest traceable spell- ing of this name is Valeyns, which is pro- bably identical with Valance.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom