Other villages in the rural, agricultural municipality included: Brekkeåsen, Rånerudåsen, Svinevoll, Sørby, and Gretteåsen.

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Vaale farm (Old Norse: Válir) since the first Våle Church was built there.

The name is the plural form of the word váll which means "clearing in the woods".

The official blazon is "Vert, a mistletoe branch Or" (Norwegian: I grønt en gull mistelteinkvist).

This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a branch of mistletoe.

The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used.

It is known from Norse mythology because Höðr shot a mistletoe arrow that killed the god Baldr.