Fun Facts About the Name Valkyrie
- More than 1 thousand babies named Valkyrie: U.S. records list 1,312 babies given the name Valkyrie from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Valkyrie Mean?
Valkyrie comes from Old Norse valkyrja (plural valkyrjur), a compound of valr, meaning "the slain, those killed in battle," and kyrja, "chooser," which is related to the verb kjósa, "to choose." The literal sense is "chooser of the slain." The same two elements appear in Old English wælcyrge, a word used in glosses to render the names of the classical Furies, and in Old High German forms such as walahkuri, so the underlying idea is shared across Germanic speech even though the modern English word is taken from the Norse form.
Valkyrie Name History & Origins
In Norse sources the valkyrjur are female figures who decide which warriors fall in battle and bring the chosen dead to Valhalla. They appear in poems of the Poetic Edda, including Grímnismál, which lists a series of their names, and Helgakviða Hundingsbana; Snorri Sturluson describes them in the Prose Edda, and Darraðarljóð, a poem in Njáls saga, shows them as women weaving the outcome of a battle. The word was a general term for these beings rather than a personal name: the individual valkyries of the stories carry names of their own, such as Brynhildr, Sigrdrífa, and Skuld.
The English form entered the language by way of Old Norse studies, while German uses Walküre, the form made widely familiar by Richard Wagner's opera Die Walküre (1870), part of Der Ring des Nibelungen. That opera is a famous later use of the word, not its origin. As a given name, Valkyrie is uncommon and modern, used occasionally for girls in English-speaking countries and drawn from the mythological figure rather than from an older naming tradition.
How Popular is the Name Valkyrie?
Valkyrie has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2022. Its best rank was #1,455 in 2022.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,925 | 101 | 0.0063% |
| 2024 | #1,816 | 111 | 0.0069% |
| 2023 | #1,509 | 143 | 0.0089% |
| 2022 | #1,455 | 153 | 0.0093% |
| 2021 | #1,827 | 111 | 0.0068% |
| 2020 | #1,630 | 128 | 0.0079% |
| 2019 | #1,874 | 108 | 0.0064% |
| 2018 | #2,418 | 75 | 0.0044% |
| 2017 | #2,738 | 63 | 0.0037% |
| 2016 | #3,374 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2015 | #3,756 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 2014 | #4,260 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2013 | #6,711 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #5,390 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #7,755 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #6,615 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #7,320 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #10,764 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #7,380 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #15,062 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #11,787 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #15,677 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #17,962 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #10,073 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #11,746 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #10,795 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #15,678 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #9,458 | 9 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Valkyrie Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fixed in your opinions, firm in your friendships and square in your dealings with others. You are an excellent worker. Since you are both possessive and emotional, you can be either very practical or very impractical and unpredictable. Your dual nature needs to become steadfast. You are the marrying kind. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Valkyrie's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Valkyrie's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.