Walter
Germanic wald “rule” plus heri “army.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Germanic for 'ruler of the army,' a top-10 staple of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Walter appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 1972. Its biggest year was 1918, when 13,338 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 11 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1914, at No. 10. In 2025 it ranked No. 251 for boys. All told, 634,804 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Explore Walter interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 18,185 | No. 13 |
| 1890s | 19,495 | No. 12 |
| 1900s | 19,997 | No. 12 |
| 1910s | 89,145 | No. 10 |
| 1920s | 119,809 | No. 13 |
| 1930s | 80,908 | No. 19 |
| 1940s | 83,728 | No. 25 |
| 1950s | 72,197 | No. 40 |
| 1960s | 45,929 | No. 70 |
| 1970s | 25,726 | No. 89 |
| 1980s | 17,568 | No. 137 |
| 1990s | 12,020 | No. 191 |
| 2000s | 8,133 | No. 308 |
| 2010s | 10,607 | No. 265 |
| 2020s | 7,725 | No. 251 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.