Holding steady.
Popularity of Norval since 1880
Babies named Norval per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Norval's real moment was 1908.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 24 |
| 1890s | 31 |
| 1900s | 87 |
| 1910s | 470 |
| 1920s | 639 |
| 1930s | 456 |
| 1940s | 320 |
| 1950s | 191 |
| 1960s | 96 |
| 1970s | 48 |
| 1980s | 15 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Norval is a name with an uncertain etymology, possibly derived from Norse elements meaning 'north' and 'valley' or as a variant of Norbert. It saw its peak year in 1908, when it was most frequently recorded. First recorded in 1880, the name experienced modest use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its trajectory has remained stable but with very low usage, and it does not currently appear in the top 1000 names. Without top states or a high one-in-N ratio, Norval remains a rare and historical choice, reflecting an earlier era of naming.
Norval is a masculine given name of obscure etymology. It may have originated as a Scottish surname, possibly from a place name meaning 'north valley' in Old English or Norse. Alternatively, it could be a variant of Norbert, from the Germanic elements 'nord' (north) and 'beraht' (bright). The name saw moderate use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but has since declined.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Nor, Val
Variants: Norville
Sibling names for Norval
Names that share Norval's style, for a brother or sister.
