Valerian

Meaning: (To be Healthy, Strong, Potent, An Herb, Valerian is a hardy perennial flowering plant, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers which bloom in the summer months. Valerian flower extracts were used as a perfume in the sixteenth century. Valerian has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates described its properties, and Galen later prescribed it as a remedy for insomnia. In medieval Sweden, it was sometimes placed in the wedding clothes of the groom to ward off the "envy" of the elves. In the sixteenth century the Anabaptist reformer Pilgram Marpeck prescribed Valerian tea for a sick woman.)

Origin: (Latin, Greek, English, Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French valeriane, from Medieval Latin valeriana, probably from feminine of valerianus of Valeria, from Valeria, Roman province formerly part of Pannonia.)

Pronunciation: (vah-LEH-ree-un, Go to this site and run your cursor over Valerian to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=valerian&submit=Submit)

Gender: Male, but possibly Uni-Sex


I was on Yahoo Answers the other day and someones user name was Valerian. It sort of reminded me of a Sci-fi/ fantasy race or something. When I looked it up and learned it was a plant and was used medicinally I found it even more interesting. The meaning is great. I saw that it was mainly a male name with the female variant being Valerie (which I don't like; no offence to Valerie's out there). But to me this name seems to be more feminine but it is mainly male.