Recorded in a number of varied spellings which include Galdemar, Galembert, Gaudemer, Galeran, Gallerand (Normandy), Vallerent, Vallerand, Vallerin and Vallerine (Seine-Inferieure), this is a French surname. It is however one of pre 7th century Gallic and Germanic origins, and derives from a compound personal name first recorded in the kingdom of Gaul which was Galdemar or Waldemar, both of which have provided surnames in their own right. However spelt the name translates literally as 'bright land', but it is likely that this was an abstract with no definitive meaning, as many of the (personal) names created in that far off period of history were known as 'ornamental'. In addition many 'Norman' names were Germanic. This occured because in their long march from Scandanavia to what is now Normandy (the place of the Norsemen) between the 5th and the 8th century a.d., these Norsemen 'collected' German and Gallic names as they passed along Northern Europe. The coat of arms has the blazon of a shield Gules, charged with a bend argent, between two lions rampant, Or. Relatively few church registers survived the French Revolution of 1792, as such records were generally regarded as instruments of the secret police, and hence were destroyed by the Revolutionaries. Examples of recordings that did survive include Pierre Vallerine who married Jeanne Milain at Conde-sur-L'escaut, departmenent of Nord, on January 31st 1647, and Rose Vallerent, a witness at St Germain-en-Laye, Seine -et-Oise, on September 11th 1775.

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