Walther: meaning “the commander of the army”, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

What it means

In German use, Walther is a variant of Walter. One German interpretation is “the commander of the army.”

Explained through its name family

Where it comes from

In German use, Walther is a variant of Walter. An origin associated with Walter is Germanic.

Explained through its name family

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Walther through the years

Babies since 1880: 96; 96 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year: 1913; 7 babies
2025: 5; #13,791 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: —; Too few births to compare

Walther in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1913–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 13,791 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 470 as a first name in 2020; 5,913 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.

Walther’s family of names

In German usage, Walther has a diminutive in Walli. In German usage, Walther has a related form in Walter. In German usage, Walther has a conventional equivalent in the English form Walter.

Walk Walther’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Walther has relatives in 4 languages.

59 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 60

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

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Across languages 6

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

People named Walther

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Walther, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

English · Old-fashioned

Sibling ideas

Names that share Walther’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Walther

A sister for Walther

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Walther

Meaning & origin

What it means

Where it comes from

The story

Walther through the years

By the numbers

Walther’s family of names

Around the world

Nicknames & forms 60

Across languages 6

People named Walther

Similar names

Webster

Wilber

Anner

Warner

Wilmer

Warden

Wilbur

Gardner

Sibling ideas

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