Valentine’s Day is named after an early Christian martyr known as Saint Valentine, but historians think it probably fuses the stories of at least two different men with that name from 3rd‑century Rome.

The short version

  • The day is named for Saint Valentine , a Christian martyr in the 200s CE.
  • Most scholars think it’s based on:
    • A Roman priest executed under Emperor Claudius II around 270 CE.
* Or Valentine of Terni, a bishop—who might actually be the same person as the priest.
  • Later legends turned him into a kind of patron of lovers, which is why his name is now tied to romance.

The historical Saint Valentine(s)

There were several early Christian martyrs named Valentine, which is why the exact “who” is fuzzy.

The two main candidates are:

  1. A priest in Rome
    • Said to have been martyred around 269–270 CE under Emperor Claudius II Gothicus.
 * Legends say he:
   * Secretly married Christian couples, sometimes soldiers who were banned from marrying.

   * Helped or healed his jailer’s daughter while imprisoned.

   * Signed a farewell note to her “from your Valentine,” which later became a romantic formula.
  1. Valentine of Terni (Interamna)
    • A bishop from Terni in central Italy, also said to have been martyred in Rome.
 * His story closely overlaps with the priest’s, which is why some historians think these are just different versions of the same figure.

Because the stories blur together, most modern references simply say the day is named for “Saint Valentine,” without picking one specific man.

How his name became about love

Originally, Saint Valentine was honored as a martyr, not a romance icon.

The link to love gradually formed through:

  • Medieval legends: Stories about him protecting couples and blessing marriages made him a symbol of faithful love.
  • Courtly love culture: By the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance in Europe, his feast day helped anchor traditions of choosing sweethearts, sending messages, and exchanging tokens of affection.

Over time, those customs turned February 14 into a day where people wrote “valentines” to each other, with his name standing in for “your beloved.”

So, who is Valentine’s Day really named after?

If you have to answer in one line: it’s named after Saint Valentine, a 3rd‑century Christian martyr—probably a Roman priest (and maybe also a bishop of Terni, if they were the same person).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.