Given name & surname · also Germanic
Walter
“the commander of the army”
Walter is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “the commander of the army.”
Original GermanWalther
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “the commander of the army.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
From Middle English Walter, from Old Northern French Waltier, from Frankish *Waltheri, from Proto-West Germanic *Waldahari, from Proto-Germanic *Waldaharjaz, built from Proto-Germanic *waldą (“ruler”) + *harjaz (“army, host”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Walter through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 634,804
- 631,172 boys · 3,632 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 13,418 babies
- 2025
- 1,381
- #252 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +2%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,381 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 252 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 13,338 in 1918. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (90). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 244,847 as a first name in 2020; 45,791 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.
Walter’s family of names
In English usage, Walter has a diminutive in Wally. Walter shares a linguistic root with Wouter. Walter has a related form in Walt.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Walter has relatives in 26 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
82 related names in 26 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 66
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Walthervariant · German, Italian
- Waltavariant · German
- Waltersvariant · German
- Wojtavariant · German
- Woitavariant · German
- Wuytenvariant · German
- Wolzvariant · German
- Woltersvariant · German
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Wolteringvariant · German
- Woltervariant · German, Low German
- Woldersvariant · German
- Woldervariant · German
- Wöldekevariant · German
- Woitinvariant · German
- Wöhlkenvariant · German
- Wöhlkevariant · German
- Wohlersvariant · German
- Wöhlervariant · German
- Wohlervariant · German
- Woelkevariant · German
- Woelkvariant · German
- Welzelvariant · German
- Welzvariant · German
- Weltzvariant · German
- Weltivariant · German
- Weltersvariant · German
- Weltervariant · German
- Weltevariant · German
- Wälzelvariant · German
- Walzelvariant · German
- Walzvariant · German
- Waltzervariant · German
- Wältzvariant · German
- Waltzvariant · German
- Wältivariant · German
- Walthiervariant · German
- Walteringvariant · German
- Waltereitvariant · German
- Waltharivariant · German
- Waltidiminutive · German
- Wallidiminutive · German
- Waltdiminutive · English
- Wallydiminutive · English
- Watkinsdiminutive · English
- Wattdiminutive · English
- Waltterlikely variant
- Walterrlikely variant
- Wallterlikely variant
- Walderevariant · Old English
- Waldherevariant · Old English
- Gwatkinpet form · English
- Gualteriovariant · Italian
- Gualtierivariant · Italian
- Valtervariant · Swedish, Portuguese
- Watshort form · English
- Walldiminutive · English
- Waldiminutive · English
- Waltharvariant
- Woultervariant
- Woutervariant · Dutch
And 6 more.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 40
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Quaidrelated form
- ValtteriFinnish
- Wöltjeequivalent
- Valtterequivalent
- Waataequivalent
- Gualtierreequivalent
- Wouderequivalent
- Galtierequivalent
Show 32 moreShow fewer
- Gualterequivalent
- Walterson“son of” surname · English
- Waterson“son of” surname · English
- WalcerzPolish
- Watheredescendant · yol
- GaultierFrench
- Valdardoublet · Norwegian Nynorsk
- Gualtierodoublet · Italian
- Uaidrelated form
- Galterorelated form
- Waltteriequivalent
- Waldharequivalent
- Valteroalso known as · Esperanto, Italian
- GuterreGalician
- GualtérioPortuguese
- GautierFrench
- ValtersLatvian
- ΓουόλτερGreek
- ウォルターJapanese
- GuálterPortuguese
- GualteriusLatin
- ValtýrIcelandic
- WātaMāori
- ValtherusLatin
- ValterusLatin
- Walthericognate · Old High German
- ВальтерRussian
- GauthierFrench
- Gaut(h)iercognate
- Gwalltercognate
- Bhaltaircognate
- Bhàtaircognate
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Walter
- Walt DisneyAmerican animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)
- Walt WhitmanAmerican poet, essayist and journalist (1819–1892)
- Walter ScottScottish novelist, poet and playwright (1771–1832)
- Bruce WillisAmerican actor (born 1955)
- Walter BenjaminGerman cultural critic, philosopher and social critic (1892–1940)
- Walter MondaleVice President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 (1928–2021)
- Walter BrattainAmerican physicist (1902–1987)
- Walter RaleighEnglish statesman, soldier and writer (1552–1618)
- Walter ScheelPresident of West Germany (1974-1979)1919–2016
Characters named Walter: Walter White (the television drama series Breaking Bad), Walt Lloyd (the American mystery fiction television series Lost), Rorschach (Watchmen character), Walter White Jr. (Breaking Bad).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Walter, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Frank
“a man from France; one who is free”
>99% boys
Albert
“one who is noble and bright”
>99% boys
Raymond
“a wise protector”
>99% boys
Ernest
“one who is sincere and determined; serious”
>99% boys
Warner
“of the defending army”
98% boys · 2% girls
Wilmer
“a strong-willed and wellknown man”
>99% boys
Louis
“loud; famous”
>99% boys
Warren
“from the fortress; from the enclosure” · “a gamekeeper”
99% boys · 1% girls