Updated June 9, 2019 Share: Family name origins & meanings Catalan (Valès) : respelling of Catalan Vallès (see Valles).Galician : habitational name from any of the places called Vales in Galicia, or topographic name from the plural of Galician val ‘valley’.Czech (Valeš) : from a pet form of the personal name Valentin (see Valentine).