Boy · #268 in 2026

Walter

Walter is a German and English masculine given name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements meaning "power" or "ruler", and "army".

  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
Current Rank
#268
Peak Rank
#10 (1918)
Total Babies
632K
5-Yr Trend
-2%
1880
First Year
1995
Last Year
1925
Peak Year
#736
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
114
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Walter

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Walter is a German and English masculine given name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements meaning "power" or "ruler", and "army".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • German
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Polish
  • Italian
  • Germanic
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
Origin & history
The name Walter is of Germanic origin composed of the elements walt- ( Proto-Germanic *wald- ) "power", "ruler", and hari (Proto-Germanic *χarja ) "army". The name is first recorded in the 6th century, with Walthari son of Wacho , who was king of the Lombards during 539–546. Old Germanic forms are recorded as Walthari , Waltari , Walthar , Waltar , Waltere , Waldheri , Waldhere , Waltheri , Walthere , Walther , Walter , Waldher , and Valter . The Old English equivalent is Wealdhere , Old Norse has Valðar and Valdarr . It was later used in modern English as Walter. The name was popularized by t

The Story of Walter

The earliest SSA record of Walter as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 1,755 babies received it. 1918 was its biggest year on record, with 13,338 newborns named Walter — #11 in the national rankings. As of 2026, Walter ranks #268 for baby boys with 1,275 births, holding steady (-2%). All told, over 632K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Walter

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Walter. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Walter

Phonetically similar names — useful when Walter is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter

What does the name Walter mean?
Walter is a German and English masculine given name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements meaning "power" or "ruler", and "army".
What is the origin of the name Walter?
Walter has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Italian, Germanic, Spanish, Portuguese.
How popular is Walter in 2026?
In 2026, Walter ranks #268 among boys' names in the U.S., with 1,275 babies given the name that year.
When was Walter most popular?
Walter reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #10 that year with 13,338 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Walter most popular?
Walter has historically been most popular in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Walter.
Is Walter a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Walter is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Walter?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Walter include Scott, Steven, Larry. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Walter?
Common variants and related forms of Walter include Valter, Waldhar, Wallie, Wally, Walt, Walther. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Walter

Walter is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 632K births in the dataset. Walter's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #10. Use the chart and map above to compare Walter's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.