A Spanish and Dutch surname, Valencia comes from the Latin term ‘valens’ which means brave and spirited. The spelling variations for Valencia include de Valencia, Valenciana and Valenciano. In the early years the Valencia families started in the Castile region in north central Spain. In the 18th and 19th centuries many Valencia families resettled in Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador and Peru. In England the few locations where Valencia families have resided are the city of London and the county of Cornwall to the far southwest. Within the United States the original Valencia families settled in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, New York, Nevada and California. Famous: Danny Valencia (professional baseball player), Esteban Valencia (footballer from Columbia), Angie Sanclemente Valencia (fashion model), Tortola Valencia (ballerina from Spain), Antonio Valencia (footballer from Ecuador), Henry Valencia (owner of an auto dealership), Adolfo Valencia (footballer from Columbia) and Ferdinando Valencia (actor from Mexico).