Given name & surname · also Germanic
Waldemar
“a well-known ruler”
In Portuguese use, Waldemar has a related form in Valdemar. One German interpretation is “a well-known ruler.”
Original GermanWoldemar
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Portuguese use, Waldemar has a related form in Valdemar. One German interpretation is “a well-known ruler.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1891. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Waldemar through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,510
- 1,510 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 50 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #13,790 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 13,790 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 50 in 1915. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,711 as a first name in 2020; 220 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Waldemar’s family of names
In Polish usage, Waldemar has a diminutive in WALDEK. Waldemar shares a linguistic root with Vladimir. Waldemar has an alternative spelling in Valdemar.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Waldemar has relatives in 19 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
20 related names in 19 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Woldemarvariant · German
- Valdemarvariant · Swedish, Spanish
- Waldekdiminutive · Polish
- Weldmarrvariant
- Weldmarvariant
- Weldemarvariant
- Weldemarrvariant
- Waldmarvariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 23
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Wladimirdoublet · German
- Vladimircognate · English
- Walderequivalent
- Valdemarasequivalent
- Wigmarequivalent
- Valdeequivalent
- Voldemarequivalent
- ВальдемарRussian
Show 15 moreShow fewer
People named Waldemar
- Mazinho OliveiraBrazilian association football playerborn 1965
- Waldemar AntonGerman-Uzbek footballer (born 1996)
- Waldemar Haffkinebacteriologist (1856–1930)
- Waldemar CierpinskiEast German athleteborn 1950
- Valdemar, King of SwedenKing of Sweden (1239–1302)1243–1302
- Waldemar PawlakPolish politicianborn 1959
- Waldemar BaszanowskiPolish weightlifter (1935–2011)
- Waldemar de BritoBrazilian footballer (1913-1979)
- Waldemar, Margrave of Brandenburg-StendalMargrave of Brandenburg-Stendal1280–1319
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Waldemar, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Willard
“a resolute and brave man”
>99% boys
Warner
“of the defending army”
98% boys · 2% girls
Wilmer
“a strong-willed and wellknown man”
>99% boys
Arno
“an eagle-wolf”
>99% boys
Aloysius
Aloysius is a masculine given name from Occitan.
>99% boys
Walter
“the commander of the army”
>99% boys
Wilbert
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Buster
“pockmark, boil”
>99% boys