Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine,
Valentine’s Day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 CE by the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus |
Other accounts hold that it was St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop,
for whom the holiday was named,
though it is possible that the two saints were actually one person |
Saint Valentine| The Early History of Valentine's Day | Valentine's Day is named after Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest who lived in Rome in the 3rd Century |