Valentina is the feminine form of the Latin Valentinus, from valens, and means "strong" or "healthy". Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in 1963. The name is a favorite across Latin America and Italy, and that is where its American growth comes from: Valentina ranked number 710 in the United States in 2000, entered the top 100 in 2017 and reached number 35 among girls in 2025, its best rank so far.