Walter
Boy name · Germanic · pronounced WAWL-tur
Verified name
What does Walter mean?
Ruler of the army
Origin and language
Germanic, Old French
Language family: English|German
Popularity in the United States
Ranked No. 241 in the U.S. in 2025, so it is popular. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration data.
Popularity in England and Wales
No. 334 in England and Wales in 2025
Contains Office for National Statistics data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Related names, nicknames, and variants
Nickname: Walt, Wally
Variant: Walther, Gauthier
Related: Gualtiero, Wouter
Using Walter across cultures
Classic Germanic name brought to Britain by the Normans.
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