An English and Scottish surname, the Valentine surname comes from the Latin term ‘valens’ which means healthy and strong. The spelling variations for Valentine include Vallentin, Wallentin, Vallentine and Valentin. In England the Valentine surname started in Lanarkshire county. Over the years it has spread to most of England and into northeast portion of Wales. In Scotland the Valentine family name is very popular over most of the country. The highest numbers of Valentine families lived along the eastern central coast in Angus, Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. Within the United States the Valentine surname originated in New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Many Valentine families spread also into Texas, California, Indiana and Michigan. Famous: Alfred Louis Valentine (champion cricket player from the West Indies), Jean Valentine (poet), Gary Valentine (musician and founder of the band Blondie), Karen Valentine (television and film actress), Steve John Valentine (magician and actor from Scotland), Bob Valentine (professional rugby and soccer player), Johnny T. Valentine (professional wrestler) and Hilton Valentine (English musician and in the group The Animals).