Holding steady.
Popularity of Valjean since 1917
Babies named Valjean per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1953, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Valjean's real moment was 1929.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 10 | 0 |
| 1920s | 67 | 23 |
| 1930s | 95 | 16 |
| 1940s | 93 | 0 |
| 1950s | 114 | 0 |
| 1960s | 46 | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Valjean first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1917, a time when invented names with fashionable sounds were gaining popularity. It reached its peak usage in 1929, during the 1920s decade, but has consistently remained extremely rare, with no recorded uptick in recent years. The name has never ranked in the top 1000, and its one-in-N statistic is unavailable. As a modern coinage, Valjean lacks deep etymological roots and likely appealed to parents seeking a distinctive, melodic name. While top state data is sparse, the name saw scattered use across the country during its brief period of modest popularity. Today, Valjean remains a highly uncommon choice, giving it a unique and literary flair.
Valjean appears to be a 20th-century invented name, first recorded in the United States in 1917. It may have been formed by combining the popular prefix 'Val' (as in Valerie or Valiant) with the suffix 'jean', possibly influenced by the French surname Valjean from Victor Hugo's 'Les Misérables'. The name saw brief use during the 1920s and 1930s, peaking in 1929, but has since remained very rare.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Val, Jeanie
Sibling names for Valjean
Names that share Valjean's style, for a brother or sister.
