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Meaning & History
Topographic or habitational name based on Spanish val, valle meaning "valley". A notable bearer was Pedro de Valdivia (died 1553), a Spanish conquistador who conquered Chile with a small expedition corps after he served under Francisco Pizarro in Peru. Valdivia founded the cities Santiago (1541) and Concepción (1550) and became Chile's first royal governor. The city of Valdivia in southern Chile is also named after him.