English
Valerie
Valerie comes from Latin valeō ‘to be healthy, strong’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*walēō‘to be strong’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvaleō‘to be healthy, strong’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEValeria
- Frenchc. 1600–presentValérie
- Englishearliest quotation 1982Valerie
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*walēō‘to be strong’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvaleō‘to be healthy, strong’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEValeria
- Frenchc. 1600–presentValérie
- Englishearliest quotation 1982Valerie
Earliest quotation: 1982, Steve Winwood, Valerie: “Valerie, call on me / Come and see me…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁-
wild, wool, velvet, validation, fluff, flannel, validate, wield, valiant, cuckold, velour, lanolin, woll, valorous, 36 more
through Proto-Italic *walēō ‘to be strong’
value, invalid, validity, 13 more
through Latin valeō ‘to be healthy, strong’
equivalent, valid, valuation, avail, vail, ambivalent, valour, ambivalence, valence, convalescent, convalescence, 15 more
Today it means
name A female given name from French [in turn from Latin].
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- / Valerie