Where does the name Walter come from?

Walter is a boy name of Germanic origin.

Is Walter a boy or a girl name?

Walter is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Walter are girls and 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Walter in 2023?

Walter ranks #267 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1918 with 13,418 babies.

How do you pronounce Walter?

Walter is pronounced WAHL-ter (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Walter?

Walter is also written as Gualtiero, Gauthier.

A name from Germanic · Boy

Walter

From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i.e. "ruler of the army." Brought to England by the Normans as Walter / Gualtier.

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Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

628,522 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

1,276 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

WFrom Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i.e. "ruler of the army." Brought to England by the Normans as Walter / Gualtier.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Walter".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Gualtiero Most common Gauthier

Quick answers

People often ask about Walter.

What does the name Walter mean?: Walter means from Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i.e. "ruler of the army." Brought to England by the Normans as Walter / Gualtier.
Where does the name Walter come from?: Walter is a boy name of Germanic origin.
Is Walter a boy or a girl name?: Walter is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Walter are girls and 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Walter in 2023?: Walter ranks #267 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1918 with 13,418 babies.
How do you pronounce Walter?: Walter is pronounced WAHL-ter (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Walter?: Walter is also written as Gualtiero, Gauthier.

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From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

Ruler of the home; estate ruler

A variant of Caroline, feminine of Charles — from Germanic karl meaning 'free man'

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.